aal which was quite deserted, but only just, for
the smoke still rose from more than one fire, and a couple of dogs were
yet skulking around the huts. Eagerly and in silence they pressed
forward, and lo--turning an angle of the cliff--there burst upon their
view a sight which amply repaid the risk of the enterprise they had
embarked upon. For the narrow defile was full of cattle--an immense
herd--which were being driven forward as rapidly and as quietly as the
two score armed savages in their rear could drive them. Clearly the
latter had got wind of their approach.

"_Allamaghtaag_!" exclaimed one of the men, catching sight of the mass
of animals, which, plunging and crowding over each other, threaded their
way through the bush in a dozen separate, but closely packed, columns.
"What a take! A thousand at least!"

"Ping--ping! Whigge!" The bullets began to sing about their ears, and
from the bush around there issued puffs of smoke. The Kafirs who were
driving the cattle, seeing that the invaders were so few, dropped down
into cover and opened a brisk fire, but too late. Quickly the foremost
half of the patrol, reining in, had poured a couple of effective volleys
into them, and at least a dozen of their number lay stretched upon the
ground, stone dead or writhing in the throes of death; while several
more might be seen limping off as well as they could, their only thought
now being to save their own lives. The rest melted away into the bush,
whence they kept up a tolerably brisk fire, and the bullets and bits of
pot-leg began to whistle uncomfortably close.

"Now, boys!" cried Shelton. "Half of you come with me--and Carhayes,
you take the other half and collect the cattle, but don't separate more
than to that extent." And in furtherance of this injunction the now
divided force rode off as hard as it could go, to head the animals
back--stumbling among stones, crashing through bushes or flying over the
same--on they dashed, helter-skelter, hardly knowing at times how they
kept their saddles.

Amid much shouting and whistling the terrified creatures were at last
turned. Down the defile they rushed--eyes rolling and horns clashing,
trampling to pulp the dead or helpless bodies of some of their former
drivers, who had been shot in the earlier stages of the conflict. It
was an indescribable scene--the dappled, many-coloured hides flashing in
the sun as the immense herd surged furiously down that wild pass. And