Between Snow and Fire — page 116: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

at *.= TO "TWEEN SNOW AND FIRE. © as those naked, bounding forms were in sight so long would the more eager spirits of the party empty their rifles at them. Not all, however. Eustace Milne had made no attempt to firea shot. He was not there, as he said after- wards, to practise at a couple of poor devils running away. Others, somewhat of the same opinion, confined themselves to looking on. But to a large section there present no such fastidious notions commended themseives. The secret of war, they held, was to inflict as much damage upon the enemy as possible, and under whatever circumstances, So they tried all they knew to act upon their logic. | “Whoop! Hurrah! They’re down!” shouted some one, as the fugitives suddenly disappeared. ‘‘Nay what!” said a tall Dutchman, shaking his head. “They are only sneaking,’ and as he spoke the Kafirs re- appeared some fifty yards further, but were out of sight again ina second. They were taking advantage of a s/uzt or furrow—crawling like serpents along in this precarious shelter. ‘Stay where you are—stay where you are,” cried Shel- ton ina tone of authority, as some of the men made a moye- ment to mount their horses and dash forward in pursuit. ‘Just as like as not to be atrap. How many more do we know are not ‘voer-ly-ing’* in the bush yonder. The whole thing may be a plant.” The sound wisdom of this order availed to check the more eager spirits. They still held their pieces in readi- ness for the next opportunity. “ Hoste—Eustace—watch that point where the pumpkin patch ends, They'll have a clear run of at least a hundred yards there,” said Carhayes, who was sitting on an ant-heap a little apart from the rest, every now and then taking a shot as he saw his chance, “It’s a devil of a distance,” growled Hoste. ‘Six hun- dred yards if it’s an inch—Ah !” For the Kafirs sprang up just where Carhayes had fore- told, and again, with a crash, many rifles were emptied at them. Fifty—thirty—twenty yards more and they will be safe. Suddenly one of them falls, “ He’s down—fairly down!” yelled someone. “ A long shot, too. Oh—h-h! He's only winged! Look! He's up again?” * Dutch: “ Lying in wait.” Gomichdoo (E(o) m