Soldier of the Queen by Griff Hosker

Author:Griff Hosker [Hosker, Griff]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sword Books Ltd
Published: 2021-12-31T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Already most of the recently arrived regiment and ancillary soldiers were busy erecting tents, digging deeper ditches and building a blockhouse. Pails of water were being drawn from the river and emptied into barrels. Fires were heating cauldrons of water for food and for washing. The only ones wearing their tunics were the sentries and the officers. Lieutenant Bromhead and Colonel Glyn strode over with Colour Sergeant Bourne in close attendance.

“Attention!” Our heels all snapped together and our rifles were brought up almost as one. Our training showed through because I was so tired that I could barely lift my rifle.

“Report, Sergeant Windridge.” The Lieutenant’s loud laconic voice drawled out.

“Yes sir. We escorted the wagons safely to the town and left this morning to return here. A few miles up the road we were ambushed by unknown warriors. We fought them off, sir, and were relieved by the Durban Light Horse and Captain Spalding.”

The colonel asked, “Any casualties?”

“No sir.”

“And how many of the enemy did you manage to hit?”

“Hard to say, sir. There were no bodies when it was over.”

The colonel frowned and the lieutenant said, “It is a damned difficult country, colonel, and it is not as if they stand in straight lines. They take away the bodies of their dead.”

“Then how do we know if we are winning, Bromhead? Damned unsatisfactory. Come with me and we will try to make sense of those maps we have. If we can find their village then we can do something about them, eh?”

We were forgotten. Colour Sergeant Bourne strode up, “At ease, lads.” He smiled, “You have not let yourselves down. Now go and get cleaned up. You have earned a rest.”

“Colour Sergeant, we are low on ammunition.”

Nodding he answered, “The Commissary is all set up as well as the quartermasters’ stores. “He pointed his swagger stick at some wagons which formed a laager inside the fort.

When we reached the Commissary, we saw it was well organised and acting Assistant Commissary Dalton smiled when he saw us, “You survived, well done. A small band of men such as you would be an easy target.” He turned to his assistants, “Give them as much as they need.”

Henry said, “Acting Assistant Commissary Dalton, you have lived here. Can we beat these people? I mean they hide in plain sight and then disappear.”

“Just call me Mr Dalton, eh, laddie? Otherwise, we will get nowhere.” His Scottish burr was still there. “Oh, aye, they can be beaten but you need horsemen to confine their means of escape. They won’t face a line of redcoats, that is for sure. They have learned that we don’t move and they aren’t good enough with rifles to be effective. Their success will come in catching small groups of men alone and attacking them. That is why I am impressed. We heard the firing and I knew what was happening. I expected the horsemen to be bringing back mutilated bodies on the backs of horses.”

“Mutilated?” There was horror in Fred’s voice.

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