The Diamond King – Excerpt 9
But none of these thoughts were helping with my current problem. It was walk or die, and I had no intention of dying out here on the bushveldt. I was heading towards what I was sure was another source of water, another that had never failed me in the past.
At the moment I still had food and water, but it was better to be prepared than suffer under the unforgiving sun. Delirium could soon set in and I could not afford to lose my way. I was hoping that someone might come across my tracks and investigate.
Or better still, if Henrik had made it back. Maybe a search party was even now searching for me. I was far from lost, but for all that It would be nice to be found, even two men on a horse still beats walking by a long shot.
I had been walking for the better part of a day, taking breaks when necessary, so far I didn’t feel too bad, other than the obvious pains in my legs. Walking felt strangely alien to me, I missed my horse, hardly surprising after spending the past three years riding with the Commando.
I walked on a few miles farther, then I heard what I assumed were rifle shots in the distance. Was there a party out searching for me, and this was how they were signalling to each other. I had done similar things myself.
Now I was in a quandary, I did not know whether to keep on walking or wait and pray they would find me. I decided to stop and make a small fire, in the hopes that they would see or smell the smoke and ride to investigate the source.
(C) Damian Grange 2019
