body of them came up.
There was not light enough to tell one from another, except by size,
and as they trooped down amid the corn, Shadrach lay with his finger
throbbing on his trigger, peering among them. But he could see nothing
except the mass of their bodies, and, waiting till the main part of
them was past him, so that he could have a shot at them as they came
back, should it happen that they retired at once, he thrust forward
his rifle, aimed into the brown, and fired.

"Almost in the same instant the rifles of the Zulus spoke, and a
crackle of shots ran up and down their line. Then there was a flare of
light as the bonfire was lit, and they could see the army of baboons
in a fuss of panic dashing to and fro. They fired again and again into
the tangle of them, and the beasts commenced to scatter and flee, and
Shadrach and his men rose to their full height and shot faster, and
the hairy army vanished into the darkness, defeated.

"There was a guffaw of laughter from the Zulus, but, ere it was
finished, a shout from Shadrach brought their rifles leaping up again.
The baboons were coming back: a line of them was breaking from the
darkness beyond the range of the fire, racing in great leaps towards
the men. As they came into the light they were a sight to terrify a
host, all big tuskers, and charging without a sound. Shadrach, aiming
by instinct only, dropped two as they came, and the next instant they
were upon him. He heard the grunt of the Zulu next him as a huge beast
leaped against his chest and bore him down, and there were screams
from another. Then something heavy and swift drove at him like a
bullet, and he clubbed his rifle. As the beast flew, with hands and
feet drawn in for the grapple, he hewed at it with the butt and
smashed it to the ground. The stock struck on bone, and he felt it
crush and fail, and there was the thing at his feet.

"How they broke the charge, with what a frenzy of battle they drove
the baboons from them, none of the four who spoke again could ever
tell; but it must have been very soon after Shadrach clubbed his rifle
that the beasts wavered, were beaten, and fled screaming, and the
farmer found himself leaning on his weapon, and a great Zulu, shining
with sweat, talking to him.

"'Never have I had such a fight,' the Zulu was saying, 'and never may
I hope for such another! The baas is a great chief; I watched him.'

"Something was picking at Shadrach's boots, and he drew back wit