sturbing their opponents' aim. Then, in a
crackling volley, the Police carbines spoke. More than a dozen leaping
sinuous forms came to earth, clutching wildly at nothing in their
stricken throes. Others halted limpingly, or subsided. The charge was
checked. Though in considerable force the assailants dropped into the
long grass and behind mimosa bushes or ant-heaps, to gather, if might
be, courage for another attempt.

"Great Scott, Ladell, but I bagged a right and left!" cried Dick Selmes,
in tremendous excitement, banging a fresh pair of cartridges into his
smoking gun.

"Get out with those old shooting yarns, Selmes," was the answer. "Why,
the nearest was outside a hundred and fifty yards. You're not going to
tell me your charge of buckshot'll kill at that distance. No. You'll
have to stick to one."

"All right. Wait till they get nearer, and you'll see," retorted Dick.

As he spoke there was a wavy movement in the grass. Like lightning the
Kafirs sprang up, bounding forward again, and uttering deafening yells.
They had discarded the blankets now, and came straight on, each grasping
a short-handled, broad-bladed assegai. It was noteworthy that, although
many had firearms, they forebore to use them. The bulk of the Police
escort noticed this, but only one--and he not of the Police escort--
understood it. That one was Harley Greenoak.

"Aim low, men, aim low," said Ladell, who, as we have said, though not a
very experienced officer, was coolness and pluck itself.

The carbines barked, and again the assault was stayed. But now the
firing and the yelling and the general racket had rendered the
troop-horses restive, so that more men had to be told off to help hold
them. This weakened the firing-line. And more and more Kafirs could be
seen swarming up the kloof, in the rear of the original assailants.

The Police troopers were behaving admirably. Many, if not most of them,
were quite youngsters, not long out from England, but the real fighting
blood was there. True, they had not been literally under fire, but the
spectacle of these swarming savages, and the reinforcements coming on
behind, was nerve-trying enough. Why, their own small force was a mere
mouthful to such as these! The sheer weight of numbers was enough to
crush them; and added to this consciousness was the certainty that they
were opposed to an enemy who gave no quarter, except temporarily, that
those thus spared might be put to de