was fixing
another in his throwing stick, a ball from my second barrel struck him in
the arm and it fell powerless by his side. He now retired behind a rock,
but the others still pressed on.

IMMINENT DANGER.

I now made the two men retire behind some neighbouring rocks, which
formed a kind of protecting parapet along our front and right flank,
whilst I took post on the left. Both my barrels were now exhausted; and I
desired the other two to fire separately, whilst I was reloading; but to
my horror, Coles, who was armed with my rifle, reported hurriedly that
the cloth case with which he had covered it for protection against rain
had become entangled. His services were thus lost at a most critical
moment whilst trying to tear off the lock cover; and the other man was so
paralysed with fear that he could do nothing but cry out, "Oh, God! Sir,
look at them; look at them!"

In the meantime our opponents pressed more closely round; their spears
kept whistling by us, and our fate seemed inevitable. The light coloured
man, spoken of at the camp, now appeared to direct their movements. He
sprang forward to a rock not more than thirty yards from us and, posting
himself behind it, threw a spear with such deadly force and aim that, had
I not drawn myself forward by a sudden jerk, it must have gone through my
body, and as it was it touched my back in flying by. Another
well-directed spear, from a different hand, would have pierced me in the
breast, but, in the motion I made to avoid it, it struck upon the stock
of my gun, of which it carried away a portion by its force.

All this took place in a few seconds of time, and no shot had been fired
but by me. I now recognized in the light-coloured man an old enemy who
had led on the former attack against me on the 22nd of December. By his
cries and gestures he now appeared to be urging the others to surround
and press on us, which they were rapidly doing.

FALL OF THE NATIVE CHIEF.

I saw now that but one thing could be done to save our lives, so I gave
Coles my gun to complete the reloading, and took the rifle which he had
not yet disengaged from the cover. I tore it off and, stepping out from
behind our parapet, advanced to the rock which covered my light-coloured
opponent. I had not made two steps in advance when three spears struck me
nearly at the same moment, one of which was thrown by him. I felt
severely wounded in the hip, but knew not exactly where the others had
struck