e from
immediately overhead. At the risk of being blinded by the terrific
glare the subaltern glanced aloft to see a large seaplane that, having
completed a long volplane, had restarted its engine. By the
conspicuous marks on the wings and fuselage Wilmshurst made the
disconcerting discovery that the aircraft was a British machine, and
that it was diligently engaged in attempting to bomb the Waffs out of
existence under the mistaken idea that they were an enemy patrol.

"That's done it!" muttered Wilmshurst. "The silly joker has put the
kybosh on our chances of surprising the Boches. Lucky if we escape
being hit with some of the infernal eggs!"

With difficulty restraining the Haussas from opening fire, for they
would not be convinced that the "great buzz-bird" could possibly make a
mistake, and that it must be a Boche machine, Dudley awaited
developments, watching with decided apprehension the seaplane circling
to take up a favourable position for another bomb-dropping effort.

The second missile burst in a donga a hundred yards to the rear of the
Haussas' line, while a few seconds later a third exploded at half that
distance again on the Waffs' flank.

Wilmshurst was now sarcastically interested.

"If you can't do better than that, old son," he chuckled, "you'd better
hook it. My word, if ever I meet you on terra firma, I won't forget to
chip you."

The ineffectual strafing continued for nearly a quarter of an hour. At
the end of that time the airmen, either discovering their mistake or
else having been called up by wireless to attack more numerous forces,
desisted from their present operations. Banking steeply the seaplane
bore away rapidly in a south-easterly direction, and was soon a mere
speck in the azure sky.

Followed a long period of inaction on the part of the Haussas. Scarce
daring to move lest a keen-eyed Askari should detect their presence,
the Waffs hugged the sun-baked earth until the lengthening shadows
warned them of the approach of night.

The distant firing had passed from rapid volleys through desultory
exchange of shots to a complete cessation. The rest of "A" Company
were not engaged, so it appeared to the still hopeful Haussas that
their foes had effected a retreat in a different direction from that
expected. With the fall of night a large hostile detachment might
easily slip through the scantily-held lines, and that accounted for the
uneasy glances that the Waffs gave at the