Shortly afterwards Colonel Somerset came up from the direction of the Chumie Hoek to his lieutenant's support, bringing with him two field-guns. These guns were at once unlimbered, and the Caffres were treated to a dose of shell which very soon sent them to the right-about, driving them out of bush and from behind rocks, and dispersing them in all directions, until there was not one to be seen save upon the distant hills. "That's always the way!" angrily exclaimed a rifle officer as the enemy rapidly dispersed. "Directly we get a really fair chance at these beggars, they disappear like magic. And yet I'd wager a month's pay and allowances that, if a small party of our fellows ventured only just out of range of the guns, they would be surrounded and cut to pieces before we could proceed to their assistance." Colonel Somerset now ordered the columns to re-form; and the wounded having been placed, some on the gun-limbers and others in front of their mounted comrades, the troops moved down the slope of the hill to the Chumie Hoek. The afternoon was now pretty far advanced, so Colonel Somerset gave up all idea of returning to the camp at Burns Hill, and decided to move on to an open plain beneath the high point of the Seven Kloof Mountain, close to the sources of a stream known as the "Geel Hout" River, and there bivouac until morning. But before continuing his march to this spot the colonel wrote a hasty despatch to the camp commandant at Burns Hill, directing that officer to advance at break of day to Chumie Hoek with all his forces, guns, ammunition waggons, and camp equipage; and this despatch he intrusted to one of his staff to carry back to the mission station. A mounted party was at once detailed to escort the staff-officer on his dangerous mission, and, acting on Lieutenant B--'s advice, Frank Jamieson and Tom Flinders obtained leave to accompany the officer, so that they might rejoin their own corps in time to be with it during the morrow's march. The escort, consisting of a subaltern and twenty-five picked troopers of the Mounted Rifles and four of Sutton's Kat River Burghers, paraded about four o'clock; and, arms and accoutrements having been carefully inspected, the word was given to "mount" and "away!" CHAPTER SIXTEEN. THE ATTACK ON THE ESCORT--FIFTY TO ONE!--A DEED OF "DERRIN' DO"--ARRIVAL AT THE CAMP--BAD NEWS.