Piggie shied again.This time a bullet had grazed her neck, and the sight of the narrow sear filled Weldon's mind with a dull, unreasoning rage.Brutal to aim at the plucky mounts who bore their riders so gallantly into the flight where all defensive power was denied themselves! He paused long enough to pat the firm gray neck, to feel the answering pressure against his hand.Then he raised his rifle again and took careful aim, as he breathed a wordless prayer that chance might guide his bullet into the man who had scarred his faithful friend.Another Boer dropped; Weldon hoped it was by his own bullet.Then both he and the gray broncho pricked up their ears as, close on their flank, they heard the beating of galloping hoofs.
In the shock of the scrimmage that followed, there was scant time to take thought of friend or of foe.On the heels of his new captain as, of old, he had been on the heels of Captain Frazer, Weldon and the gray broncho were in the thick of the fight.Then, as the Boers sullenly fell backwards, Weldon became aware of a familiar voice in his ears.
"Whisht, little feller! It's Paddy," the voice said in a spooky undertone, as its owner ranged up alongside the gray broncho.
"Paddy!" Weldon stared at him in unfeigned astonishment."What in the name of heaven are you doing here, man?"With perfect composure Paddy squared himself in the saddle.
"Little Canuck dear, as I told you before, heaven is a state of eternal peace, and therefore an undesirable abode in these hot times.I prefer a whiff of brimstone, myself; and, by the powers, I've been getting, it." As he spoke, he took off his hat and showed a neat trio of holes in the left brim.
"But how did you come here, Paddy?" Weldon asked again.
"Took your advice to heart, my jewel, kicked over my pan of fat and jumped into the fire.Which, being put into straight English, Iswiped a horse and rode off with the rest of the boys on the tail of the serpent." Weldon gasped, as he realized the enormity of the crime.Then he laughed.In his haste to gain possession of a mount, Paddy had taken no thought for his armament.His sole weapon was the huge iron spoon, still grasped in his left hand.
"Whose horse did you take, Paddy?"
"I d'know.I never looked to see.I popped my toe into the stirrup and came away, hot-foot; but," Paddy paused for a deliberate wink;"as I was leaving camp, I thought I heard the voice of that pigeon-toed little cockney Parrott, him that used to stub his toes on the wall at Piquetberg Road, acalling out that some one had mislaid his horse and he couldn't find it.I was sorry; but I was in a divil of a haste and couldn't stop to condole with him then.""But, Paddy, they'll run you out of camp for this," Weldon remonstrated dutifully.
Paddy's shoulder mounted towards his left ear."I'm thinking I have run myself out, and that's just what I was meaning to do.I've been a captain with four lieutenants under me.Any one of them can sling the pepper and the salt, and they're welcome; but not one has the fighting blood in his veins as I have.Let them mind their kettles and leave me to mind the enemy.""And if they won't let you go back?"
"Then I'll ship myself straight down to Cape Town, and take service with Captain Frazer.He can fight with the best of them, and he knows I'm a man.It's riding at his heels I'll be, henceforth and forevermore."Turning, Weldon looked long into the jovial Irish face, and at the hunchy figure that joggled to and fro in the saddle, with no heed to the rhythm of his horse's pace.
"Who taught you to ride, Paddy?" he asked at length.
For an instant, a lump in Paddy's left cheek betrayed the whereabouts of his tongue.Then quietly he made answer, "Sure, little feller, it must have been the grace of Saint Patrick.Nobody else has ever took a hand in the training of me.But I'll back him against all the riding masters in London and Aldershot."And the result showed that Paddy's confidence was not misplaced.
