Smith Wilbur - B5 by Wilbur Smith

Author:Wilbur Smith [Smith, Wilbur]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-08-16T21:45:51+00:00

Penrod felt the strong temptation to respond to his challenge and take him on with the sword. But he knew that more was at stake than pride and honour. The fate of an army of his countrymen, the city of Khartoum and all within the walls Rebecca Benbrook too hung on the outcome of this race. Duty dictated that he must eschew any heroics.

He ejected the empty case from the breech of his rifle, and took another round from his bandolier to replace it. He locked the breech-block but before he could turn back to fire again at Osman Yakub called to him in urgent tones. He glanced at him, and saw that he was pointing ahead, standing high in the saddle, waving his arms above his head, screaming in wild excitement.

Penrod followed the direction of his finger and his heart bounded. Out of the white glare of the salt pan ahead a squadron of mounted men appeared, their camels racing towards him on a converging track. There was no mistaking that their intentions were warlike. How many? he wondered. In the clouds of white dust it was impossible to guess but they came on, rank upon rank. A hundred, if not more, he realized, but who were they? Not Arabs! That's certain. Hope stirred. None of them wore the jibba, and their faces were un bearded They rushed towards each other, and Penrod saw the khaki of their tunics and the distinctive shape of their pith helmets. "British!" he exulted. "Scouts from Stewart's Camel Corps."

Penrod swivelled in the saddle and looked back. Osman was standing tall in his stirrups, peering at the approaching ranks. Behind him his aggagiers had reined down from the charge and were milling in confusion. Penrod looked ahead again and saw that the commander of the Camel Corps had ordered a halt. His men were dismounting and couching their camels to form the classic square. It was done with precision.

The camels knelt in an unbroken wall, and behind each crouched the rider, with rifle and bayonet presented across his animal's back. The white faces, although tinted by the sun, were clean shaven and calm.

Penrod felt a breathtaking surge of pride. These men were his comrades, the flowering of the finest army on earth.

He ripped the turban from his head to show them his face, then waved the cloth over his head. "Hold your fire!" he yelled. "British! I am British!" He saw the officer standing behind the first rank of troopers, with drawn sword, step forward and give him long, hard scrutiny. Now he was only a hundred and fifty paces from the square.

"I am a British officer!"

The other man made an unmistakable gesture with his sword, and Penrod heard his order repeated by the sergeants and non-commissioned officers: "Hold your fire! Steady, the guards! Hold your fire."

Penrod looked back again, and saw that Osman was close behind him.

Although his aggagiers were still in confusion, he was charging alone into the face of a British square.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.