the first few lots were indeed practically swept away, but after that, as it took a long while to load the gas-pipes and old flint muskets, those who followed got across in comparative safety.  For my own part, I fired away with the elephant gun and repeating carbine till they grew almost too hot to hold, but my individual efforts could do nothing to stop such a rush, or perceptibly to lessen the number of our enemies.

“At length there were at least a thousand men crowded into the dip of ground within a few yards of us, whence those of them who had guns kept up a continued fusillade upon the koppie.  They killed two of my bearers in this way, and wounded a third, for being at the top of the koppie these men were most exposed to the fire from the dip at its base.  Seeing that the situation was growing most serious, at length, by the dint of threats and entreaties, I persuaded the majority of our people to cease firing useless shots, to reload, and prepare for the rush.  Scarcely had I done so when the enemy came for us with a roar.  I am bound to say that I should never have believed that Matukus had it in them to make such a determined charge.  A large party rushed round the base of the koppie, and attacked us in flank, while the others swarmed wherever they could get a foothold, so that we were taken on every side.

“‘Fire!’ I cried, and we did with terrible effect.  Many of their men fell, but though we checked we could not stop them.  They closed up and rushed the first fortification, killing a good number of its defenders.  It was almost all cold steel work now, for we had no time to reload, and that suited the Butiana habits of fighting well enough, for the stabbing assegai is a weapon which they understand.  Those of our people who escaped from the first line of walls took refuge in the second, where I stood myself, encouraging them, and there the fight raged fiercely.  Occasionally parties of the enemy would force a passage, only to perish on the hither side beneath the Butiana spears.  But still they kept it up, and I saw that, fight as we would, we were doomed.  We were altogether outnumbered, and to make matters worse, fresh bodies of soldiers were pouring across the plain to the assistance of our assailants.  So I made up my mind to direct a retreat into the caves, and there expire in a manner as heroic as circumstances would allow; and while mentally lamenting my hard fate and reflecting on my sins I fought away like a fiend.  It was then, I remember, that I shot my friend the captain of our escort of the previous day.  He had caught sight of me, and making a vicious dig at my stomach with a spear (which I successfully dodged), shouted out, or rather began to shout out, one of his unpleasant allusions to the ‘Thing that——­’ He never got as far as ‘bites,’ because I shot him after ‘that.’

“Well, the game was about up.  Already I saw one man throw down his spear in token of surrender—­which act of cowardice cost him his life, by the way—­when suddenly a shout arose.