rst, drew himself over the rocky edge of the table-land to
find the ground plentifully sprinkled with barbed wire entanglements.
Although this form of defence had been badly knocked about by
shell-fire there was still sufficient wire, either in tension or else
in snake-like coils, to offer serious impediment to the advance.

Suddenly the opening shot of a ragged, ill-aimed fusillade burst from a
line of zig-zagged trenches a hundred yards from the edge of the
plateau. A Haussa, in the act of assisting a comrade, sprang high in
the air, and fell, his hands in his death-agony clutching at
Wilmshurst's ankles.

Without knowing what trapped him the subaltern measured his length on
the ground. Probably the fall saved his life, for a corporal
immediately behind him was shot through the chest.

"Prone position--independent firing," shouted the major, realising that
it was a forlorn hope for a few men to charge. Until a sufficient
number of bayonets was on the plateau a forward movement was out of the
question.

Coolly the Haussas threw themselves on the ground, taking advantage of
every scrap of cover. To the accompaniment of the constant whip-like
cracks of the rifles other blacks clambered upon the fairly level
ground until three companies were in readiness to continue the advance.

Again the whistle sounded. The crowd of prostrate Haussas rose to
their feet, yelling and shouting as they lurched forward with levelled
bayonets. Men fell almost unheeded as the Waffs forced their way
through the gaps in the barbed wire, and swept right and left to avoid
the shell craters. By this means platoons became intermingled, while
companies overlapped each other, but steadily the onward rush continued.

The Askaris in the first line of trenches did not wait. The sight of
the tips of the glittering bayonets was too much for their courage.
Their fire ceased; they turned and scurried over the parados, followed
by bullets from the Haussas and met by bullets from their German
task-masters, who had taken the precaution of stiffening their native
levies with a lead ration should they show signs of weakening.

In this predicament the Askaris halted and faced about. Already the
Haussas were astride the first trench and interlocked with the nearmost
of their foes, the while a German machine gun was playing on the
combatants with the delightful impartiality that a Hun displays to save
his own hide.

Temporarily the Haussas' charge