198 THROUGH UNKNOWN AFRICAN COUNTRIES. 
as evidence of our good will, and leaving behind his spear 
and shield when he rejoined his comrades. The Boran 
now sent another man to guide us, saying they had given 
up the idea of war. Only now and then, after this, could 
we see a Boran on a pony watching us. The guide showed 
us a place to camp which rather raised my suspicions, as it 
was in the dense bushes; but finally, after eight hours on 
the road, we found a spot which was fairly open for two 
hundred yards, and in the centre of this we halted. The 
boys started at once making a zareba, but this was poor 
defence, as there were no thorn-bushes to be had. 
“The tents were just up and the zareba about finished 
when shouts made me aware that a troop of cavalry was 
approaching. We called to them to stop, whereupon one 
of them came forward as though to speak to us; but now 
a whole force of cavalry was just emerging from the 
bushes. Hastily the camels were got into the zareba, and 
then the mules and cattle. We were refraining from 
shooting as long as possible, but before the last bullock’s 
tail passed into the zareba there were warriors on foot 
rushing from behind every bush on us. The bushes 
seemed to grow warriors. ‘Then the firing began. There 
was a stampede of the cattle, and the mules followed out 
of the zareba and away. There was time now only to 
fight, and fight hard. The natives were thronging upon 
us. I fired a few loads of S.S.G. shot upon a body of 
cavalry, and then took my Winchester, aiming at those 
who were farthest away, knowing that my men could better 
attend to the near ones. Several horses fell, and a general 
rush ensued on the part of the cavalry to get away. 
“ The firing was hot, and down went warriors, one on top 
of another. They held up their shields to protect them- 
selves, and thus offered splendid marks for the rifles. On 
they came for some minutes, and a few got within ten 
