were frequently encountered.

Nevertheless all arms were sanguine of bringing the Huns to bay.
Strong Belgian forces operating from the westward were driving the
enemy towards the advancing British, while across the Rovuma Portuguese
troops, well supplied with light field-artillery, were considered a bar
to any attempted "break-through" on the southern frontier.

Towards evening scouts reported the "spoor" of the enemy, for the
ground bore the impression of thousands of naked footprints and those
of about a hundred booted men. A strong force of German Askaris,
supported by a "white" body of troops with machine guns and mule
batteries, were retiring in a north-westerly direction, while a small
detachment had broken off and was making almost north-east.

It was against the latter party that the Nth Waffs were to operate,
since it was recognised that a small, mobile, and determined body of
the enemy would give almost if not quite as much trouble as a large and
consequently more cumbersome force hampered with guns in a difficult
country.

"Hullo!" exclaimed Wilmshurst, as a couple of Haussa scouts hurriedly
and stealthily rejoined the advance guard. "Tarry Barrel and Spot Cash
have tumbled upon something."

"Hun he lib for stop, sah," reported Tari Barl.

"Stopping to make fight?" asked the subaltern eagerly.

The Haussa shook his head, and moved his jaw after the manner of a
person eating.

"Lib for stop for grub," he exclaimed. "After that on him go."

"How far?" demanded Wilmshurst.

Tari Barl indicated that the scouts had followed two distinct spoors
for more than a couple of miles without actually sighting any of the
retiring enemy.

Acting upon this information the advance guard marched into the ground
on which the Huns had recently halted. Examination of the refuse and
other traces revealed the fact that the enemy had been there but a few
hours previously, for the ashes of the extinguished fires were still
hot. That the march had been resumed in a leisurely manner, showing
that as yet the hostile detachment was unaware of the close pursuit,
was evident by the systematic way in which the fires had been put out
and earth thrown lightly over the embers.

"We'll halt just beyond this spot," decided the company major, when the
rest of the four platoons joined the advance guard. "Hanged if I fancy
bivouacking on the site of a Boche camp. What do you think of the
fresh spoors, MacGregor?"

"That's t