awaited¡¡by¡¡Weldon£»¡¡maddened¡¡by¡¡his¡¡long¡¡exposure¡¡to¡¡the¡¡bullets¡¡of¡¡his¡¡unseen¡¡foe¡£¡¡In¡¡extended¡¡order£»¡¡the¡¡squadrons¡¡galloped¡¡forward¡¡until¡¡their¡¡goal¡¡was¡¡a¡¡scant¡¡five¡¡hundred¡¡yards¡¡away£»¡¡when¡¡of¡¡a¡¡sudden¡¡a¡¡murderous¡¡fire¡¡broke¡¡out¡¡from¡¡the¡¡rocks¡¡in¡¡front¡¡of¡¡them£»¡¡emptying¡¡many¡¡a¡¡saddle¡¡and¡¡dropping¡¡many¡¡a¡¡horse¡£¡¡Under¡¡such¡¡conditions£»¡¡safety¡¡lay¡¡only¡¡in¡¡an¡¡unswerving¡¡charge¡£
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Already¡¡the¡¡month¡¡at¡¡Piquetberg¡¡Road¡¡seemed¡¡a¡¡chapter¡¡out¡¡of¡¡another¡¡volume¡£¡¡It¡¡had¡¡culminated¡¡in¡¡that¡¡languid¡¡afternoon¡¡spent¡¡around¡¡the¡¡tea¡table¡¡under¡¡the¡¡wattle¡¡tree¡¡in¡¡the¡¡garden£»¡¡culminated¡¡there¡¡and¡¡also¡¡ended¡¡there¡£¡¡With¡¡the¡¡unexpectedness¡¡that¡¡marks¡¡all¡¡things¡¡in¡¡a¡¡time¡¡of¡¡war£»¡¡the¡¡next¡¡noon¡¡found¡¡him¡¡steaming¡¡across¡¡the¡¡Cape¡¡Flats£»¡¡with¡¡Maitland¡¡in¡¡sight¡£¡¡Two¡¡days¡¡later£»¡¡they¡¡were¡¡loaded¡¡on¡¡an¡¡empty¡¡hospital¡¡ship¡¡returning¡¡to¡¡Durban¡£¡¡Piquetberg¡¡Road¡¡was¡¡child's¡¡play¡¡now£»¡¡for¡¡the¡¡front¡¡was¡¡almost¡¡in¡¡sight¡£¡¡The¡¡voyage¡¡had¡¡been¡¡beastly£»¡¡but¡¡after¡¡it¡¡had¡¡come¡¡the¡¡real¡¡beginning¡¡of¡¡things¡£¡¡Natal£»¡¡in¡¡those¡¡days¡¡of¡¡late¡¡February£»¡¡had¡¡seemed¡¡deserving¡¡of¡¡its¡¡name£»¡¡a¡¡true¡¡Garden¡¡of¡¡Africa¡£¡¡The¡¡crossing¡¡was¡¡now¡¡a¡¡memory¡¡of¡¡heavy¡¡grades£»¡¡of¡¡verdant¡¡country£»¡¡of¡¡ripened¡¡fruits¡£¡¡There¡¡had¡¡been¡¡the¡¡week's¡¡delay¡¡at¡¡Pietermaritzburg¡¡where¡¡they¡¡had¡¡tasted¡¡a¡¡bit¡¡of¡¡civilization¡¡in¡¡the¡¡intervals¡¡of¡¡completing¡¡their¡¡outfits£»¡¡there¡¡had¡¡been¡¡the¡¡brief¡¡stop¡¡at¡¡Ladysmith£»¡¡already¡¡recovered¡¡from¡¡her¡¡hardships¡¡of¡¡the¡¡year¡¡before£»¡¡then¡¡the¡¡crossing¡¡the¡¡border¡¡into¡¡the¡¡Transvaal¡¡where¡¡the¡¡verdure¡¡slowly¡¡vanished¡¡to¡¡give¡¡place¡¡to¡¡the¡¡dreary¡¡wastes¡¡of¡¡red¡¡¡brown¡¡veldt¡£¡¡At¡¡Johannesburg£»¡¡he¡¡had¡¡manufactured¡¡an¡¡excuse¡¡for¡¡a¡¡long¡¡letter¡¡to¡¡Ethel¡¡who
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From¡¡over¡¡his¡¡breakfast£»¡¡that¡¡morning£»¡¡the¡¡General¡¡raised¡¡his¡¡head¡¡to¡¡listen¡¡to¡¡the¡¡booming¡¡of¡¡the¡¡fifteen¡pounders¡£¡¡No¡¡need¡¡to¡¡tell¡¡him¡¡that¡¡heavy¡¡fighting¡¡had¡¡begun¡£¡¡His¡¡experienced¡¡ear¡¡had¡¡taught¡¡him¡¡that¡¡magazine¡¡firing¡¡meant¡¡business¡£¡¡His¡¡hand¡¡went¡¡in¡¡search¡¡of¡¡his¡¡field¡glasses¡£
¡¨General£»¡¡the¡¡enemy¡¡have¡¡captured¡¡the¡¡guns¡£¡¡The¡¡Major¡¡asks¡¡for¡¡assistance¡¡to¡¡retake¡¡them¡£¡¨
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¡¨Mount¡¡every¡¡available¡¡man£»¡¡and¡¡gallop¡¡to¡¡the¡¡scene¡¡of¡¡action£¡¡¨
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¡¨Weldon£¿¡¨
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¡¨Splendidly¡¡done£»¡¡old¡¡man£¡¡¡One¡¡doesn't¡¡forget¡¡such¡¡things¡£¡¨
CHAPTER¡¡NINE
Captain¡¡Frazer¡¡had¡¡scarcely¡¡finished¡¡speaking£»¡¡when¡¡the¡¡voice¡¡of¡¡the¡¡General¡¡sounded¡¡in¡¡their¡¡ears¡£
¡¨A¡¡plucky¡¡attack¡¡and¡¡a¡¡plucky¡¡defeat£»¡¡Captain¡¡Frazer¡£¡¡Kemp¡¡is¡¡a¡¡man¡¡worth¡¡fighting¡£¡¡You¡¡are¡¡not¡¡wounded£¿¡¨
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The¡¡General's¡¡keen¡¡glance¡¡included¡¡them¡¡both¡£
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¡¨Partly¡£¡¡I¡¡can¡¡learn¡¡the¡¡rest¡£¡¨
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