le were driven back and up, till at length,
within twenty minutes of the commencement of the fight, our third line
came into action.

But by this time the assailants were much exhausted, and besides had
lost many men killed and wounded, and to break through that third
impenetrable hedge of spears proved beyond their powers. For a while
the seething lines of savages swung backwards and forwards, in the
fierce ebb and flow of battle, and the issue was doubtful. Sir Henry
watched the desperate struggle with a kindling eye, and then without a
word he rushed off, followed by Good, and flung himself into the
hottest of the fray. As for myself, I stopped where I was.

The soldiers caught sight of his tall form as he plunged into battle,
and there rose a cry of--

"_Nanzia Incubu! Nanzia Unkungunklovo!_" (Here is the Elephant!)
"_Chiele! Chiele!_"

From that moment the end was no longer in doubt. Inch by inch, fighting
with splendid gallantry, the attacking force was pressed back down the
hillside, till at last it retreated upon its reserves in something like
confusion. At that instant, too, a messenger arrived to say that the
left attack had been repulsed; and I was just beginning to congratulate
myself, believing that the affair was over for the present, when, to
our horror, we perceived our men who had been engaged in the right
defence being driven towards us across the plain, followed by swarms of
the enemy, who had evidently succeeded at this point.

Ignosi, who was standing by me, took in the situation at a glance, and
issued a rapid order. Instantly the reserve regiment around us, the
Greys, extended itself.

Again Ignosi gave a word of command, which was taken up and repeated by
the captains, and in another second, to my intense disgust, I found
myself involved in a furious onslaught upon the advancing foe. Getting
as much as I could behind Ignosi's huge frame, I made the best of a bad
job, and toddled along to be killed as though I liked it. In a minute
or two--we were plunging through the flying groups of our men, who at
once began to re-form behind us, and then I am sure I do not know what
happened. All I can remember is a dreadful rolling noise of the meeting
of shields, and the sudden apparition of a huge ruffian, whose eyes
seemed literally to be starting out of his head, making straight at me
with a bloody spear. But--I say it with pride--I rose--or rather
sank--to the occasion. It was one before which mos