Earnestly the reinforcements were looked out for, as the garrisons of most of the forts were so weak that it was more than doubtful whether they could offer a successful resistance against a determined attack. Moreover, trusty spies brought in information that Titokowaru contemplated making such attacks as he was very desirous of obtaining a supply of rifles wherewith to arm the numerous recruits who had lately flocked to his standard. Nor was the information false, for on the morning of the 12th July he attempted to capture the redoubt at Turu Turu Mokai, and very nearly succeeded in doing so. This redoubt was an old work that had been constructed by the 18th Regiment at a time when there were thirty men to do the work now allotted to one, and though it had been built on an important tactical situation, yet the site had been badly chosen, nor was the work itself of any strength. This did not matter when the district swarmed with defenders, but now we were so weak it was considered extremely vulnerable. Moreover, for a long time, while the sun shone on our side of the fence, it had been abandoned; the berm had in places been washed away by the heavy rain, and in places the much damaged parapet almost tottered over the ditch; still, the importance of its situation was so great that the O.C. had to now make use of it in his scheme of defence. This tumbledown structure was garrisoned by twenty-five men under the command of a very fine officer, Captain Ross, who had done everything in his power to make the place defensible, but had only succeeded in making the weak spots more apparent. The site of the work itself was so bad that it necessitated a flying sentry to watch a gully that could not be overlooked from the fort, up which a storming party could easily creep, and there being no room for the O.C.’s tent inside he had to have it pitched outside, near the drawbridge, which consisted of two narrow planks that spanned the ditch. On the night of the 11th a civilian came to the fort and claimed protection, which was at once granted, so that there were twenty-seven white men at Turu Turu Mokai that night. During the night the flying sentry reported a flock of strayed sheep had disturbed him, and there is no doubt that under cover of these animals two parties of Hau Haus, numbering forty men each, crawled through the fern, close up to the fort, lay down and waited for the right moment to rush the tumbledown work. The flying sentry who had the morning relief, however, spotted some dark figures, and discharged his rifle at them, receiving in return a volley which wounded him badly, though he still had strength to crawl into the long fern where he hid until relieved.