was
rapidly assembling. One little pause to get their breath, and Nala's men
came at it with a rush and a long wild shout of '_Bulala Matuku_' (kill
the Matuku) that went right through me, thrilling every nerve. Then came
an answering shout, and the sounds of heavy firing, and presently I saw
our men retreating, somewhat fewer in numbers than they had advanced.
Their welcome had been a warm one for the Matuku fight splendidly behind
walls. This decided me that it was necessary to create a diversion; if
we did not do so it seemed very probable that we should be worsted after
all. I called to the captain of our little force, and rapidly put the
position before him.

"Seeing the urgency of the occasion, he agreed with me that we must risk
it, and in two minutes more, with the exception of my own men, whom I
left to guard the wounded, we were trotting across the open space and
through the deserted town towards the spot where the struggle was taking
place, some seven hundred yards away. In six or eight minutes we reached
a group of huts--it was a head man's kraal, that was situated about a
hundred and twenty yards behind the fortified wall, and took possession
of it unobserved. The enemy was too much engaged with the foe in front
of him to notice us, and besides, the broken ground rose in a hog-back
shape between. There we waited a minute or two and recovered our breath,
while I gave my directions. So soon as we heard the Butiana impi begin
to charge again, we were to run out in a line to the brow of the hogback
and pour our fire into the mass of defenders behind the wall. Then the
guns were to be thrown down and we must charge with the assegai. We
had no shields, but that could not be helped; there would be no time to
reload the guns, and it was absolutely necessary that the enemy should
be disconcerted at the moment when the main attack was delivered.

"The men, who were as plucky a set of fellows as ever I saw, and whose
blood was now thoroughly up, consented to this scheme, though I could
see that they thought it rather a large order, as indeed I did myself.
But I knew that if the impi was driven back a second time the game would
be played, and for me at any rate it would be a case of the 'Thing
that bites,' and this sure and certain knowledge filled my breast with
valour.

"We had not long to wait. Presently we heard the Butiana war-song
swelling loud and long; they had commenced their attack. I made a sign,
and the