Under the foregoing circumstances, Leuchars resolved to make a dash into Zululand through Middle Drift. After moving to Krantzkop on the 14th, he marched to the drift, reaching it at 5 a.m.[210] Here the N.R.R. were left, also a squadron of U.M.R.; the remainder of the force moved to Hot Springs. The 15-pounders, with a troop U.M.R., were placed on a position commanding the opposite country. The rest of the force operated in Zululand in a north-easterly direction. Many kraals were destroyed and 400 cattle captured, also goats. Small parties of the enemy were seen and fired on, ten being killed; as a rule, however, they were careful to keep on the hill-tops and beyond rifle range. "An unfortunate accident," says Leuchars, "occurred during the operations, which resulted in the wounding of a woman and a child. Two men were observed running across a mealie-field and were fired upon at about 1,000 yards. They escaped, but the woman and child, who were hiding in a mealie hut past which the men ran, were wounded. The medical officer attended to them and they were placed in charge of an elderly male prisoner who was released to take care of them." The column returned to Hot Springs at 3 p.m. Here it was found the goats would not face the water, so had to be left. While crossing the remainder of the stock, a few shots were fired at those engaged in the work. Sibindi's men were left in charge of the goats, whilst Leuchars went on to Middle Drift. Presently, word came that the former had been again sniped at. A troop was immediately sent back, when a couple of rebels were observed crossing from an island to the Zululand side. One of them was captured. The goats were got across with great difficulty on the 16th. It was at this stage that Leuchars received the invitation to co-operate in the general converging movement on Cetshwayo's grave. His operations on that occasion have already been described on pp. 242-244. The troops re-crossed the river at 7 a.m. on the 18th, reached Hot Springs camp at mid-day, and moved up to Krantzkop the following morning. The N.F.A. horses performed the heavy work required of them on this occasion without a hitch, although a section of the road up a steep cutting was greatly out of repair. The country between Middle and Watton's Drifts having been fairly well cleared, Leuchars resolved to take his force viâ Inadi to Ngubevu, "so as to be in a position to co-operate with any column which might work towards the Mfongozi from the Zululand side." Nuss, at Keate's Drift, relieved by twenty-five N.R.R., and the detachment of the 1st Umvoti District Reserves, at Greytown, joined Leuchars at Ngubevu on the 21st. The 2nd U.D.R. were sent back to Greytown for demobilization. Leuchars' force now consisted of U.M.R.; 1st U.D.R.; and twenty Krantzkop Reserves.