And then the slouching figures were met by other slouching figures,
and reluctantly Weldon drew in his horse, as the halt was ordered.
Only madness would prolong the chase against such heavy odds. Mere
sanity demanded that the troopers should delay until the column came
up. The action must wait, while the heliograph flashed its call for
help. Weldon grumbled low into Carew's ear, as the minutes dragged
themselves along, broken only by indeterminate volleys.
"I have exactly five rounds left," he said at length. "I believe in
obedience, Carew; but, when I get this used up, by jingo, I'll pitch
into those fellows on my own account."
"Keep cool," Carew advised him temperately. "You always were a
thriftless fellow; you must have been wasting your fire. Oh, I say,
what's the row in the rear?"
"The column, most likely. It's time, too. Those fellows would be on
us in a minute. Ah ha!" And Weldon drew a quick breath of
admiration, as the guns came up at the gallop under the watchful eye
of the Imperial Yeomanry.
Once in position on a rise to the left, quickly the guns unlimbered
and opened fire, while the sergeants gathered around the boxes of
spare cartridges on the ground beside the panting ammunition horse.
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