sely tied, ready for any sudden alarm. About
midnight, we three were sitting with others about the fire, talking low
to one another. All at once Doolittle sprang up, alert and eager. "Look
out, boys!" he cried, pointing his hands under the waggons. "What's
wriggling in the grass there?"

I looked, and saw nothing. Our sentries were posted outside, about a
hundred yards apart, walking up and down till they met, and exchanging
"All's well" aloud at each meeting.

"They should have been stationary!" one of our scouts exclaimed, looking
out at them. "It's easier for the Matabele to see them so, when they
walk up and down, moving against the sky. The Major ought to have posted
them where it wouldn't have been so simple for a Kaffir to see them and
creep in between them!"

"Too late now, boys!" Colebrook burst out, with a rare effort of
articulateness. "Call back the sentries, Major! The blacks have broken
line! Hold there! They're in upon us!"

Even as he spoke, I followed his eager pointing hand with my eyes,
and just descried among the grass two gleaming objects, seen under the
hollow of one of the waggons. Two: then two; then two again; and behind,
whole pairs of them. They looked like twin stars; but they were eyes,
black eyes, reflecting the starlight and the red glare of the camp-fire.
They crept on tortuously in serpentine curves through the long, dry
grasses. I could feel, rather than see, that they were Matabele,
crawling prone on their bellies, and trailing their snake-like way
between the dark jungle. Quick as thought, I raised my rifle and blazed
away at the foremost. So did several others. But the Major shouted,
angrily: "Who fired? Don't shoot, boys, till you hear the word of
command! Back, sentries, to laager! Not a shot till they're safe inside!
You'll hit your own people!"

Almost before he said it, the sentries darted back. The Matabele,
crouching on hands and knees in the long grass, had passed between them
unseen. A wild moment followed. I can hardly describe it; the whole
thing was so new to me, and took place so quickly. Hordes of black human
ants seemed to surge up all at once over and under the waggons. Assegais
whizzed through the air, or gleamed brandished around one. Our men fell
back to the centre of the laager, and formed themselves hastily under
the Major's orders. Then a pause; a deadly fire. Once, twice, thrice we
volleyed. The Matabele fell by dozens--but they came on by hundreds. As
fa