At nine o'clock the boys told the others in the waggon that they were
going to escape. They had before informed them of their intention to do
so, somewhere along the road, and had taken down the names and regiments
of all of them, with a note as to their condition, and the addresses of
their friends. These they had promised to give to the commanding
officers if they got safely back. They had filled their pockets with
bread, all those in the waggon having contributed a portion of their
ration that evening. After a hearty shake of the hand all round, and
many low-muttered good wishes, they stepped out at the rear of the
waggon, with their boots in their hands. It was a light night, and the
figures of the two men on sentry over the store waggon could just be
made out. There was no thought of any regular sentry duty, no marching
up and down among the Boers; the two men had simply sat down together to
smoke their pipes and chat until their turn came to lie down. The lads
therefore struck off on the opposite side of the waggon, and making
their way with great caution to avoid running against any of the Boers,
they were soon far enough away to be able to put on their boots and walk
erect.
"How does your leg feel, Chris?" "It feels stiffer than I expected,
certainly, but I have no doubt it will soon wear off.
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