e sadly cut about as the enemy's
missiles hummed overhead--but always overhead--pretty thickly. At
first, the said enemy was rather chary of showing himself, although they
could see groups of red figures flitting from bush to bush, and the
whigge of bullets and potlegs became more and more unpleasantly near,
while from the slope above jets of smoke and flame kept bursting forth
at all points.

The plan of the whites was to make a running fight of it. While
one-half of the patrol drove on the cattle, the other half was to fight
on foot, covering their comrades' retreat, but always keeping near
enough to close up, if necessary.

"Now, boys--let 'em have it!" cried Shelton, as a strong body of the
enemy made a sudden rush upon their left flank to draw their attention,
while another party, with a chorus of shouts and deafening whistles, and
waving their assegais and karosses, darted in between the cattle and
their captors, with the object of separating and driving off the former.

A volley was discharged--with deadly effect, as testified by the number
who fell, wounded, maimed, or stone dead. The rest rushed on, gliding
in among the fleeing cattle--whistling and yelling in a frenzy of
excitement.

"Keep cool, boys, and fire low," cried Carhayes--who was in command of
the dismounted party--as a crowd of Kafirs suddenly started up on their
rear, and, with assegais uplifted, threatened a determined charge.
"Now!"

Again there was a roar, as the whole fire was poured into the advancing
mass. Even the horses, steady, trained steeds as they were, began to
show restiveness, terrified by the continuous crash of firing and the
fierce yells of the savages. Then, without pausing to reload, every man
discharged his revolver into the very thick of the leaping,
ochre-smeared warriors. It was too much. The latter wavered, then
dropped into cover.

But the respite was only a temporary one. Changing his tactics, the
fierce foe no longer attempted an open _coup de main_, but taking
advantage of the bush he pressed the handful of whites who formed the
rear guard so hotly as to force them to close up on their comrades, in
order to avoid being entirely surrounded and cut off from the latter.
But however bad had been their marksmanship earlier in the day, while
excited and practising at the two fleeing Kafirs at long range, our
frontiersmen were now in a different vein. There was nothing wild about
their shooting now. Steady of