“But all of this took time, and meanwhile the soldiers were coming up fast, screaming and brandishing their big spears.  They were now within about four hundred yards, and several loads, together with all the tusks, had yet to be got over the rock.  I was still standing at the bottom of the cliff, shouting directions to the men above, but it occurred to me that it would soon be time to move.  Before doing so, however, I thought that it might be well to try and produce a moral effect upon the advancing enemy.  In my hand I held a Winchester repeating carbine, but the distance was too great for me to use it with effect, so I turned to Gobo, who was shivering with terror at my side, and handing him the carbine, took my express from him.

“The enemy was now about three hundred and fifty yards away, and the express was only sighted to three hundred.  Still I knew that it could be trusted for the extra fifty yards.  Running in front of Wambe’s soldiers were two men—­captains, I suppose—­one of them very tall.  I put up the three hundred yard flap, and sitting down with my back against the rock, I drew a long breath to steady myself, and covered the tall man, giving him a full sight.  Feeling that I was on him, I pulled, and before the sound of the striking bullet could reach my ears, I saw the man throw up his arms and pitch forward on to his head.  His companion stopped dead, giving me a fair chance.  I rapidly covered him, and fired the left barrel.  He turned round once, and then sank down in a heap.  This caused the enemy to hesitate—­they had never seen men killed at such a distance before, and thought that there was something uncanny about the performance.  Taking advantage of the lull, I gave the express back to Gobo, and slinging the Winchester repeater over my back I began to climb the cliff.

“When we reached the projecting angle all the loads were over, but the tusks still had to be passed up, and owing to their weight and the smoothness of their surface, this was a very difficult task.  Of course I ought to have abandoned the tusks; often and often have I since reproached myself for not doing so.  Indeed, I think that my obstinacy about them was downright sinful, but I was always obstinate about such things, and I could not bear the idea of leaving those splendid tusks which had cost me so much pains and danger to come by.  Well, it nearly cost me my life also, and did cost poor Gobo his, as will be seen shortly, to say nothing of the loss inflicted by my rifle on the enemy.  When I reached the projection I found that the men, with their usual stupidity, were trying to hand up the tusks point first.  Now the result of this was that those above had nothing to grip except the round polished surface of the ivory, and in the position in which they were, this did not give them sufficient hold to enable them to lift the weight.  I told them to reverse the tusks and push them up, so that the rough and hollow ends came to the hands of the men above.  This they did, and the first two were dragged up in safety.