A small party of
Greytown men are besieged near Botha's Castle; one of them has just
ridden in for help. But you know well enough that Buller will not hear
of detached parties going out all over the country; and Captain
Brookfield told the farmer that it was of no use his going to the
general, and that none of the Colonial troops could leave the camp
without orders. As it was evident that there was nothing more to be
done, and we could not leave the man's friends to be massacred, the only
thing to do was to give in our resignation at once; and of course, now
that it is done and accepted, we are at liberty to mount and ride off
where we please. When we have done our work we will come back and
reenlist, and no one will be any the wiser. We shall start in half an
hour. We need not take the tent poles, or anything but a blanket and a
waterproof sheet."
There was lively satisfaction at the news that they were again going to
be employed in what they considered their proper work.
"What shall we do about the men and stores?" Willesden asked; "you know
that those two big boxes of the things we ordered at Maritzburg arrived
yesterday." "I think, Willesden, we will take Jack and the two Zulus,
and leave Japhet and the Swazis here in charge of the stores, and
blankets, and other things we leave behind us.
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