of that day were called--all natives were much
afraid.

So Saduko went with his fifty, leaving me wondering whether I should
ever see his face again. Then I, my bearer Scowl, the two remaining
hunters, and the ten score Amangwane who were left turned and soon were
following the road by which we had come down the rugged pass. I call
it a road, but, in fact, it was nothing but a water-washed gully strewn
with boulders, through which we must pick our way as best we could in
the darkness, having first removed the percussion cap from the nipple of
every gun, for fear lest the accidental discharge of one of them should
warn the Amakoba, confuse our other parties, and bring all our deep-laid
plans to nothing.

Well, we accomplished that march somehow, walking in three long lines,
so that each man might keep touch with him in front, and just as the
moon began to rise reached the spot that I had chosen for the ambush.

Certainly it was well suited to that purpose. Here the track or gully
bed narrowed to a width of not more than a hundred feet, while the steep
slopes of the kloof on either side were clothed with scattered bushes
and finger-like euphorbias which grew among stones. Behind these stones
and bushes we hid ourselves, a hundred men on one side and a hundred on
the other, whilst I and my three hunters, who were armed with guns, took
up a position under shelter of a great boulder nearly five feet thick
that lay but a little to the right of the gully itself, up which we
expected the cattle would come. This place I chose for two reasons:
first, that I might keep touch with both wings of my force, and,
secondly, that we might be able to fire straight down the path on the
pursuing Amakoba.

These were the orders that I gave to the Amangwane, warning them that he
who disobeyed would be punished with death. They were not to stir until
I, or, if I should be killed, one of my hunters, fired a shot; for my
fear was lest, growing excited, they might leap out before the time and
kill some of our own people, who very likely would be mixed up with the
first of the pursuing Amakoba. Secondly, when the cattle had passed and
the signal had been given, they were to rush on the Amakoba, throwing
themselves across the gully, so that the enemy would have to fight
upwards on a steep slope.

That was all I told them, since it is not wise to confuse natives by
giving too many orders. One thing I added, however--that they must
conquer or t