His raids into the Kilima Njaro country had been repulsed with slaughter. When a squadron of Indian Lancers moved south, between Kilima Njaro and Meru Mountain, it was at once vigorously attacked by one of our mounted patrols under Lieutenant Freiherr von Lyncker. Our Askari had come to understand the great value of saddle-horses in our operations, and charged the enemy, who was mounted, with the cry: “Wahindi, kameta frasi!” (“They are Indians, catch the horses!”) The Indians were so surprised by the rapidity of our people that they fled in confusion, leaving some of their horses behind. Among others the gallant European commander had been left dead on the field; he had not been able to prevent his men from losing their heads. I should like to remark generally that during this first period of the war the conduct of the British regular officers was invariably chivalrous, and that the respect they paid us was fully reciprocated. But our Askari also earned the respect of the enemy by their bravery in action and their humane conduct. On the 10th March the English Lieutenant Barrett was severely wounded and fell into our hands; owing to false accounts he thought his last moment had come, and was surprised when our Askari, who had no European with them, tied him up as well as they could and carried him to a doctor. In his astonishment he remarked: “Why, your Askari are gentlemen.” How greatly the English soldiers had been misled I learned on the 12th February from a young South African captured on Oldorobo, who asked whether he was going to be shot. Of course we laughed at him. No doubt, in a long war, cases of brutality and inhumanity do occur. But that happens on both sides, and one should not generalize from isolated cases, and exploit them for the purpose of unworthy agitation, as has been done by the English Press. CHAPTER II FURTHER ADVANCE OF THE ENEMY AND THE ACTION AT REATA