exhausted, Sarah told herself. They have had no rest since they left the coast. Their horses are in no better case. It is nearly time for us to break away, and make a run for it.
In the moonlight she recognized this section of the road. They were approaching a ford over one of the tributaries of the main river. On the outward journey up from Fort Auspice, Zama and his men had spent days digging out the banks. It was a narrow and steep crossing that the wagons could only negotiate with difficulty. She knew that they would not find a better place at which to make the break. She estimated that there was still an hour of darkness to cover their escape, and by that time she hoped they would be clear of the weakened, exhausted horses of their pursuers.
She reached stealthily across to each of the girls in turn. She squeezed
their hands and shook them lightly to alert them. The three pressed their mounts gently and moved up together until they were riding within touching distance of the rump of Guy's horse.
Sarah reached under her coat and slipped the duelling pistol out of her bodice. She used the folds of her sheepskin coat to muffle the click as she drew back the hammer to half-cock. The trigger of the weapon was set very lightly and she dared not cock it fully until the moment of firing. Fifty yards ahead she saw the gap in the river bank appear out of the darkness, with the road running down into it. She waited until Guy reined in his horse as he studied the cutting that led down to the ford.
Before Guy could call out, Sarah deliberately rode into his horse. The girls on each side of her pressed forward, and for a moment there was confusion as the horses bumped each other and milled about.
'Keep your damned horses under control,' Guy exclaimed with annoyance.
Then another voice roared from the darkness of the cutting just ahead. 'Stand where you are! I have fifty muskets loaded with goose shot trained on you.'
Tom!' Sarah exulted. 'It's Tom!' Of course he had heard the wagons from a mile off, and he would choose the river crossing to ambush them. i
Tom Courtney!' Guy shouted back. 'I have your grandson, and my..' dagger to his throat. My men have your wife Sarah, and the other women of your family. Stand aside and let us pass if you want any of them alive.'
To reinforce the threat he lifted George off his shoulder and held him up with both hands. 'It's your grandfather, child. Speak to him. Tell him you are safe.' He pricked George's arm with the dagger. From behind Guy's shoulder Sarah saw the blood start on the white skin, black and shiny in the moonlight.
'Grandpapa!' George shrieked at the top of his lungs. 'There is a horrid man hurting me.'
'By God, Guy! You touch a hair of that child's head and I'll kill you with my bare hands,' Tom's voice rang out with angry frustration.
'Hear the piglet squeal,' Guy shouted back, and pricked George again. Throw down your weapons and show yourselves, or I will send you your grandson's guts on a silver tray.'
Sarah drew the pistol from under her coat and cocked the hammer. She reached forward and pressed the muzzle into the small of Guy's back at the level of the kidneys. She fired and the shot was muffled by Guy's clothing and flesh. Guy's back arched in his agony as the ball shattered
his vertebrae. He loosened his grip and George fell out of his raised hands.
'Now, Louisa!' Sarah screamed.
But Louisa did not need the order. She leaned out of the saddle and caught George as he fell. She clasped him to her bosom and kicked her heels into Trueheart's ribs. 'Ha! Ha!' she shouted to the mare. 'Run, Trueheart! Run!'
Trueheart jumped forward. One of the Arabs reached out to seize her, but Louisa fired the second pistol into his bearded face, and he fell backwards out of the saddle. Verity turned her horse in behind Trueheart to screen George and his mother from any musket bullets fired by the escort. She was only just quick enough. One of the Arabs, more alert than his companions, threw up his jezail and the long flame of the discharge ripped through the darkness. Sarah heard the ball strike flesh. Verity's horse collapsed under her, and she was thrown forward over its head.
Sarah spurred forward just as Guy toppled backwards and fell limply from the saddle into her path. Her horse tried to jump over him, but one of the metal-shod hoofs struck Guy's temple and she heard the brittle bone break like ice. Her horse recovered its balance and Sarah steered it towards where Verity was struggling to her feet.
'I am coming, Verity!' Sarah called to her, and made an arm for her. Verity hooked hers through Sarah's as the horse swept past her. Neither of them had the strength to swing Verity up astride, but she managed to throw her free arm over the horse's withers and cling on desperately as they followed Trueheart down into the river ford.
Tom!' Sarah yelled. 'It's us. Don't shoot!'
The rest of the Arab escort had recovered their wits and were galloping after Sarah in a tight band. Suddenly a volley of musket fire erupted from the edge of the bank where Smallboy and the rest of Tom's men were lying. Three horses went down in a tangle, and the rest of the Arabs reined in and turned back. They raced for the shelter of the wagons and huddled behind them.
Tom jumped down from the bank and, as Sarah reined in, he seized her and Verity and dragged them down. He pulled them into safety behind the bank.
'Louisa!' Sarah gasped. 'Catch Louisa and George.'
'No one can catch Trueheart when she has the bit between her teeth. But they are safe out there as long as we keep the Arabs pinned down here.' Tom embraced Sarah. 'By God, I'm pleased to see you, woman.'
Sarah pushed him away. 'There'll be plenty of time for that nonsense later, Tom Courtney. You still have work to do here.'
'Right you are!'
Tom ran back to the top of the bank, and called to the dark wagons behind which the Arabs were sheltering: 'Guy! Do you hear me?'
'He's dead, Tom,' Sarah interrupted him. 'I shot him.'
Then you beat me to it,' Tom said grimly. 'I was looking forward to it myself.' He realized that Verity was standing beside him, 'I'm sorry, my dear. He was your father.'
'If I had had a pistol in my hand, I would have done it myself,' Verity said calmly. 'What he has done to me over the years is of no account, but when he started torturing Georgie... No, Uncle Tom, he deserved that and more.'
'You are a brave girl, Verity.' He hugged her spontaneously.
'We Courtneys are made of rawhide,' she said, and hugged him back. Tom chuckled and released her.
'Now, if you call those blackguards out from behind the wagons, I would be much obliged. You can tell them that we will not harm them and they will have free passage back to the coast as long as they abandon the wagons. Tell them I have a hundred men with me, which is a lie. If they don't surrender we will attack and wipe them out to the man.'
Verity called the message across to them in Arabic. There was a delay while they discussed what she had said. She could hear their heated voices and she caught some of the words. Some were arguing that the effendi was dead, and there was no reason to remain here. Others were talking about the amount of gold, and what Zayn al' Ding would do when he learned that they had lost it. One loud voice reminded them of the sounds of battle they had heard coming from the bay. 'Perhaps Zayn al Din is dead also,' the speaker said.
Guy Courtney's body was still lying where it had fallen and the dawn light was strengthening so that Verity could see her father's dead face. Despite her brave words she had to turn away her eyes.
At last one of the Arabs called back their reply: 'Let us go in peace and we will hand over our weapons and surrender the wagons.'
Jim and Mansur pushed their horses hard, riding through the night. They were leading spare horses and when their mounts tired they changed saddles quickly and went on. They rode mostly in silence, locked in their own thoughts, which were darker than the night. When they spoke it was mostly in monosyllables or in curt sentences, and their eyes were fixed ahead.
'Less than six miles to the laager at the gorge,' Jim said, as they climbed a steep rise. In the first light of morning he recognized the tree that stood on the skyline. 'We will be there in an hour.'
'Please God!' said Mansur, and they rode up on to the crest and looked ahead. They saw the river winding below them, but then the first rays of the sun touched the belly of the cloud and lit the valley with dramatic suddenness. They both saw the dust at the same moment.
'Rider coming at the gallop!' Jim exclaimed.
'Only a messenger rides like that,' Mansur said softly. 'Let us hope he has favourable tidings.'
They both reached for their telescopes, and for a moment were struck speechless as they picked up the rider in the lens.
Trueheart!' Jim shouted.
'In the Name of God! It's Louisa on her back. Look at her hair shine in the sunlight,' Mansur agreed. 'She carries something in her arms. It's Georgie.'
Jim waited for no more. He turned loose the spare horse he was leading and shouted to Drumfire, 'Run, my lovely! Run with all your heart.'
Mansur could not keep
