CHAPTER XXVIII
THE ELEVENTH HOUR
Challis, having re-formed his column, disorganised by the rhinoceroses, led it forward at a brisk pace to make up for lost time. Two men who knew the country went in advance as scouts.
The march continued for the rest of the day without mishap. At night they encamped on open ground, lighting no fires, and with sunrise next morning they were again on foot.
Soon after midday John announced that the fort was about three miles away. Challis ordered the men to halt. Now that they were nearing the enemy it was necessary to move with great caution. Calling the leaders of the various tribes together, he explained to them, through John, that he would leave them for a few hours and go forward alone to reconnoitre the position. They were not to move until his return.
"Sah not go by himself," said John. "Me show way; me savvy all 'bout it."
"I think you are right," said Challis. "I shall go faster with you as guide. Come along, then; let us start at once."
They set off across the open country in the direction of the fort, John's sense of locality making him a capable guide.
Presently they entered an extensive stretch of woodland, through which progress was slow. Just as they reached the farther end of it John started back suddenly.
"Tubus, sah!" he whispered.
Two Tubus, armed with spears, had just dismounted, tethered their horses, and entered the wood.
"This is awkward," thought Challis. "If they are scouts, they may go far enough to see our men, or they may see us. What can we do, John?" he asked.
"Shoot, sah," replied John at once.
"That would never do. The shots would alarm the enemy. Besides, I don't care about shooting. Do you think we could capture them?"
John grinned. The idea pleased him.
"If we can manage it," Challis went on, "you must take them back to our men. I can find my way alone now."
"Berry fine, all same, sah," said John. "Me show sah."
He turned back into the wood, moving swiftly but silently through the undergrowth. Challis followed him, noticing that he was taking a direction away from that followed by the Tubus. In a few moments he guessed the reason of this. John's intention was to get to leeward of the enemy, as if he were stalking animals.
It was nearly half-an-hour before the Hausa stopped, laid his finger to his lips, and pointed through the trees. Challis caught sight of the two men walking slowly towards them, a few yards apart, apparently examining the ground.
John by signs made his leader understand what his plan was. They were to separate and crouch among the undergrowth, one on each side, until the men passed; then to spring on them from behind.
Bending low, they selected two large bushes and lay in wait there. The Tubus came on unsuspiciously, but looking keenly around them.
Challis was tingling with excitement. Would the men see him? Would they hear the rustle of his movements? Would they escape? If they did, it seemed that all chance of a secret approach to the fort would be lost.
His man was drawing nearer. He passed within five or six yards of the bush. Then Challis rose to his feet, gathered himself together, and made a spring towards the negro. The man heard him, turned with a start, and was raising his spear, when Challis, stooping suddenly, threw his arms round the Tubu's knees and brought him to the ground.
Almost at the same moment, twenty yards away, John, as noiselessly as a panther, had leapt upon the back of the second Tubu and fallen on top of him. Depriving the man of his spear, he was now forcing him to crawl on all fours towards his prostrate companion, threatening to prick him with the spear if he made a noise or did not move fast enough.
While Challis kept guard over the men, John cut from the undergrowth a number of pliant tendrils. With these he tied the Tubus' wrists, and fastened them also neck to neck, telling them, in their own language, that they were silly fellows.
One of them spoke to him sullenly.
"Yoi-aloo!" cried John, laughing. "Dey say Goruba gone lost, sah!"
"Lost, is he?" said Challis. "They were searching for him, then. How was he lost?"
"Went away, sah," returned John, after questioning the man. "No savvy what for. 'Fraid him gobbled up."
"That's good news. What will they do if they don't find him?"
"Very sad all same, sah. Dey go back over Yo; had 'nuff; plenty sick, sah."
It was good news indeed that the Tubus had lost their leader; still better that they were disheartened and thinking of returning to their own country.
"Well, John," said Challis, "take these fellows back to our men; then come after me as fast as you can. I will go on and see what is happening."
John went off, driving the negroes in front of him. Challis waited until they were out of sight; then, going to the edge of the wood, he looked all around to make sure that no more Tubus were in sight, and continued his journey, taking cover from bush to bush.
In a few minutes he saw the fort on the hilltop some distance away. Making a round, he approached it from the north-west side, stopping every now and then to listen. Apparently there were no Tubus between him and the fort, but he dared not go too close to it while daylight lasted, for he would certainly be seen as he mounted the hill.
Accordingly he halted in a wooded hollow to wait for darkness. He wondered how the little garrison was faring, whether the Tubus had attacked, whether they were really on the point of giving up the siege. The time passed too slowly for his impatience, and he longed for the sun to go down.
Suddenly, about an hour before sunset, he heard shouts. They ceased immediately. What was happening? He stole up the slope of the hollow, intending to lie flat just below the top and peep over. But before he had reached it there were loud shouts, followed by rapid rifle fire. It was clear that the garrison was defending itself against a fierce assault.
When he gained the top of the slope and looked over, he found that he was still too far away to see anything clearly. The attack was not being made on the side towards which he was gazing. He was on the point of rushing forward, when he saw several dark forms running round the base of the wall. Though he longed to assist his friend, it was clear that he could not run the gauntlet through these armed negroes, and he sank back, filled with great anxiety.
The firing ceased, but the shouts continued for a time. Then again there was silence, and he saw with unspeakable thankfulness that the Tubus had disappeared.
"Well done!" he thought. "It will soon be dark, and then——"
John slipped up quietly behind him.
* * * * *
Meanwhile Royce and his men were resting after their victory. Never had a fight been won at so small a cost. Many of the men had been injured by the Tubus' clubbed rifles, some had spear wounds; but none had been killed, and with care all the wounded would recover.
Royce praised the men for their sturdy defence, and told them he hoped the enemy would trouble them no more. But in his heart he was far from confident. An ordinary raiding party of negroes would long since have abandoned the struggle, but in Goruba these men had no ordinary leader. He had shown himself possessed of exceptional courage and resource, and—what is still rarer in the negro—resolution. While he was with them they would not give up, Royce felt sure.
He wished that he could have disposed of Goruba; but when, after the fight, he mounted the wall at the point where the giant had fallen and looked for him, rifle in hand, he was not to be seen.
Kulana managed to provide a meal from the remains of the burnt provisions, but it was the last. The men knew it, and though Royce spoke cheerily, he could see that they were depressed, in spite of their victory. Unless relief came, they would be face to face with starvation if the siege were maintained, and of relief there was no sign.
When darkness fell Royce posted the sentries as usual, and looked anxiously down the hill to see whether the enemy were still encamped below. His hope that they had withdrawn was dashed by the appearance of their fires in the usual quarters; they still formed almost a complete ring round the hill.
Reckoning up the chances for the hundredth time, Royce realised that, although a sally from the fort might break through the ring, the enemy would follow them up on their horses and, in the open country, overwhelm them.
"It's no go," he thought with gloomy foreboding. "Poor old Tom! What has become of him?"
As he sat resting his chin on his hand, Gambaru came up with two or three of the Hausas.
"Well, what is it?" asked Royce.
"Massa Chally nebber come, sah," said Gambaru in a mournful tone.
"Well? You have something else to say?"
Gambaru hesitated for a moment.
"Food all gone, sah," he began. "What can do? Must eat. Nuffin to eat. Boys all die. All berry hungry, sah."
"I know. We have had little enough all along. We have now nothing at all. I am very sorry for you. But I want you to wait just one more day."
The men talked among themselves. Then Gambaru said:
"Boys no want to wait, sah. Tubus light fires; no go away. No more food; how can fight? Boys say all go out, run fast."
"They would catch us on their horses."
"Die all same, sah," said Gambaru. "No food, all die; Tubus catch um, all die same. One way die slow, other way die quick—boys say die quick best."
Royce was wandering how he could persuade the men to wait, even one day longer, when the bark of a jackal startled them all.
"Thank God!" said Royce, rising in excitement. "It is Massa Chally at last. That was John's cry."
Some of the men shook their heads and declared that it was the cry of a real jackal, but Gambaru and Kulana assured them positively that it was John's imitation. They listened silently for a repetition of the cry. It had come from a distance; there was no other sound in the silence of the night.
The whole garrison flocked to the walls and, holding their breath, peered out into the darkness. They could see nothing, hear nothing.
Minutes passed; hope gave way to disappointment and despair. Even Royce himself felt that he had been mistaken, and the men began to murmur against Gambaru and Kulana.
But suddenly they were startled to silence again by the cry, repeated softly close under the wall on the north-west side. Every one ran to the spot, even the sentries, and Royce did not send them back to their posts. For now, down the slope, they had caught sight of a dim, dark shape moving by almost imperceptible degrees towards the fort.
"Let down a ladder, Kulana," said Royce, whispering through parched lips.
The Hausa took up one of the scaling-ladders left behind by the Tubus and lowered it over the wall. In breathless silence the watchers saw the form crawl up to it, set his foot on it, and begin to climb.
Murmurs of excitement burst from the eager crowd.
"Hush!" said Royce. Leaning over the wall he whispered: "Tom?"
"Right-o, old boy. Back at last!" said Challis's cheery voice.
"Massy Chally back! Massa Chally back!" cried the negroes, irrepressibly laughing and shouting with joy. Royce bade them be silent in vain. His heart was too full to reprove them.
"Thank God, you're back!" he said, giving his hand to Challis as he reached the top of the wall. "I had given you up."
"Glad I'm in time," said Challis, pressing his friend's hand warmly.
"But where is John?" asked Royce. "It was his cry we heard?"
"Of course. I couldn't have done that. John has gone back to my army."