THE STORMING OF SECOCOENI'S. 1 15 



Both these columns were to meet at Secocoeni's town. 

 Ours was to attack it from the front, and Bushman's 

 from the rear. 



The town itself was built along the slope of a range 

 of precipitous rocky hills, in which were numerous caves. 

 The enemy, if driven out of the town, would take refuge 

 in the caves, from which they would open fire upon the 

 invaders. 



In the plain before the town was a small hill, full of 

 caves and breastworks of stone. It was a sort of out- 

 work in advance of the main position. It was called the 

 fighting kopje. No one could advance to attack the 

 town without being exposed to fire from the fighting 

 kopje ; and it therefore became necessary to mask the 

 fighting kopje by surrounding it and keeping up a fire 

 upon it with a portion of the force, while the remainder 

 of the force attacked and burnt the town. The Amas- 

 wazi were to mount the range of hills from the other 

 side, and driving the Basutos from their cover on the 

 summit, were to descend the face of the hills and take 

 the town in reverse. After the capture of the town the 

 fighting kopje would have to be stormed, and then the 

 whole thing would be over. 



I will pass over the events which transpired on our 

 advance towards Secocoeni's. Suffice it to say that our 

 advanced guard, without waiting for the arrival of the 

 main body, attacked and burnt a native town which lay 

 to the right of our line of advance, and might have 

 threatened our communications had we passed it and 

 left it undestroyed. 



After the affair was over we assembled the captives 

 in the plain. They were chiefly women and children. 

 A painful incident impressed itself upon my memory. 



