looked up at me, as if to say, `Where are the Kaffirs?' `They're in the bush,' I shouted; then I slid down the krantz by a monkey tow, and after making my way through the tumbled mass of boulders and thorn scrub at the base, started to run down, when I yeard the beat of the drum, and the next minute seed the pioneers come round the bend, then the first company, and nex' the band, with the Colonel 'twixt the pioneers and the company. The old fire-eater were determined to get inter the trap after all, and when I reached him he were half-way by the kloof. `For God's sake,' I said, putting my hand on the bridle, `stop the waggons, and get your men outer this. Turn back!' I said. He were jest going to rap me over the head for mutinous conduct, or some sich nonsense, when the Kaffir yell rang out. They couldn't wait any longer. Whew! My gum, sonny! talk o' yellin' an' cussin' an' gruntin'. Them red Kaffirs were into us. They jumped this way, and that, their eyes rollin' in their heads, their assegais whizzing and kerries flying, with a noise like a flight o' partridges. Then the rifles snapped out, and the big drum boomed onct. Only onct. Then I seed the drummer throw up his sticks an' roll over, drum up, man up, turn an' turn. I didn't know which way to turn at first; then I seed a Kaffir raising his kerrie to smash the Colonel, who were lying on the ground, and I shot him. I helped the Colonel up, and he roared out `Bayonets.' The soldiers were too mixed up to use their bayonets. I seed five of them--one after another-- assegaied. The Kaffirs, they jes' grabbed the poor Johnny by the belt, pulled him outer the thick of the jam, and then assegaied him. I seed how things would go if the soldiers couldn't get ground to fight, so I jumped for the drum, and, cutting it free from the poor drummer chap, I banged on it and marched across the stream to the far slope. Some of the fellers seed me and follered. `Steady,' says I, `take your man-- fire.' Well, they did jes' so, and I banged the drum. The ole Colonel he got the pioneers with him--there was eight of them--and, my gum!-- they jest swished their way through the Kaffirs with their axes. Then up come some more men, follering the drum, and we peppered the Kaffirs till they were obliged to get back inter the wood. Then the Colonel he looked for the wounded. There were nary one, but seventeen men lay dead. `There's one here,' says I, and led the place to where the young officer had tumbled in the water. There he were among the rushes, bleeding to death from an assegai wound, and one of them pioneers, his arms all bloody, lifted the young chap up and carried him to the waggons. I guessed it were time to go before them Kaffirs got up steam--so I banged the ole drum and marched back. `Where you going?' says the Colonel. `Back to the camp,' I says. `That ain't the way,' he says; `we camp over the ridge to-night,' pointing the other way. `The