the dominie
who volunteered for the service.

We crept cautiously down towards the hut, the sounds proceeding from
which showed us to our great satisfaction, that it was still in
possession of the blacks. We now advanced with greater caution,
Bracewell and Hector, who were the most experienced in bush life,
leading, I following, until we could look right down upon the hut. A
few blacks were squatting on the ground outside, and the hut itself
appeared to be full of them. The sergeant and his men, I should have
said, had brought some coils of rope with which to bind any prisoners
they might capture. These they formed into lassoes for the purpose of
throwing over the heads of the blacks. As we watched the hut, the
people collected round it had, as far as we could judge, no intention of
moving, probably fancying that they were safe, for the present, from
pursuit.

Bracewell now made a sign to us to rise to our feet, so that we might
rush down on the hut and capture all the blacks in it if not those
outside. At the signal we were in motion, the troopers with their drawn
swords in one hand and their pistols in the other, and we with our
rifles. We had got half way down the slope before the blacks discovered
us. Most of those outside scampered off, but we saw, by the crowd at
the door, that the hut was full, and before many could escape, we were
at the entrance. Some tried to get out of the window on one side of the
hut, but Guy, Hector, and I shot them down as they reached the ground,
thus putting a stop to any others escaping in that direction; while the
sergeant and his troopers, bursting into the hut, soon had several of
the rest secured by their necks. Others were knocked down. The greater
number either lay helpless on the ground or stared stupidly at their
assailants. Had our object been slaughter we might have killed the
whole mob, but the sergeant had received orders to capture as many as
possible alive, and we were thankful not to have to destroy any more of
the poor wretches.

Altogether, thirty were made prisoners, but we could not calculate how
many had made their escape. The greater number, however, had left their
spears and waddies behind them, so that they were not likely for the
present to attempt further mischief. At the request of the sergeant we
brought down the horses and assisted him in securing the prisoners and
arranging them in the order in which they were to march. It took some
time