FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148  
149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   >>   >|  
he Berkshire men and others who witnessed this feat was heard to rise above even the yells of combatants, the shrieks of the wounded, the rattle and crash of fire-arms, and the general turmoil and din of war. In one of the working parties that were out when the assault began was our friend Moses Pyne and his comrade Rattling Bill Simkin. These had been separated from the rest of their party when the first wild rush was made by the foe. The formation of the ground favoured their dropping into a place of concealment, thus for the moment saving them from the fate of being surrounded and cut to pieces, like too many of their straggling comrades. For a few seconds they lay close while the enemy rushed past like a torrent, to the assault just described. Then Moses uprose, with an expression of stern resolve on his usually meek countenance. "Simkin," he said, as his comrade also got up, "I'm not goin' to lie hidin' here while our boys are engaged wi' the savages." "No more am I, Moses," returned Rattling Bill, with something of the jovially reckless air still lingering on his solemnised visage. "But we've not much chance of getting back to the zerebas without arms." "What d'ee call _that_?" asked Moses, holding out his chopper. "A very good weapon to fight the bush with," answered Simkin, "but not worth much against Arab spears. However, comrade, choppers are all we have got, so we must make the most of 'em. They say a good workman can work with any tools. What d'ee propose to try? I'll put myself under your orders, Moses; for, although you are a meekish sort of a fellow, I really believe you have a better headpiece than most of us." "I propose that we simply go at 'em," said Moses. "Take 'em in rear, cut our way through, and get into the zereba--that's all. It don't take much of a headpiece to think that out." "Go ahead, then! I'll back you," said Rattling Bill, without the least touch of bravado, as he bared his right arm to the shoulder. Both men were in shirts and trousers, with sleeves tucked up and their brawny arms exposed--Arabesquely brown up to the elbow, and infantinely white above that! The intended rush might have been successful, but for a change in the tactics of the enemy. Seeing that they were severely repulsed at the corner of the square, where Molloy and his tars worked the Gardner gun, while Miles and his comrades plied bullet and bayonet, the Arab chief sent a body of his fo
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148  
149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
comrade
 

Rattling

 

Simkin

 

propose

 

headpiece

 
comrades
 
assault
 

fellow

 
spears
 

meekish


However

 

choppers

 
weapon
 

workman

 
orders
 

answered

 
tactics
 
change
 

Seeing

 

severely


corner

 

repulsed

 

successful

 

infantinely

 

intended

 

square

 

bayonet

 

bullet

 

Molloy

 

worked


Gardner

 
Arabesquely
 

exposed

 

zereba

 

shirts

 
trousers
 

sleeves

 
brawny
 

tucked

 
shoulder

bravado
 

simply

 
returned
 
formation
 

ground

 

separated

 
favoured
 

dropping

 
surrounded
 

pieces