THE STORMING OF SECOCOENPS. 12$ 



Our duty was to carry some ridges on our right, that 

 is to say on the left of the enemy's position. We were 

 to be supported by a native contingent. Where they went 

 to I don't know, but we never saw them again until the 

 affair was all over. We extended and went at the ridge 

 smartly. The enemy blazed away in our direction, and 

 we blazed away in their direction, but as it was dark we 

 didn't do each other much damage. We carried the 

 position, and changing direction to the left moved on 

 along the ridge until we were within rifle range of the 

 town. 



It now dawned, and with daylight the enemy began 

 peppering us from another more elevated ridge which 

 commanded our position, so we took cover amongst the 

 boulders of rock which were strewed about. 



As the sun rose the spectacle opened to our view was 

 really very fine. The cracking of rifles made a continuous 

 pealing which was echoed back from the hills. Some 

 colonial troops were coming along the face of the hill 

 upon the enemy's other flank, and were rolling them up 

 as they did so. 



Round the detached hill or fighting kopje down in the 

 plain were the infantry and artillery, which kept up a 

 desultory fire in answer to the fire from the kopje. 



The Amaswazi had not yet begun to show up, and we 

 began anxiously to scan the top of the hill, for we 

 momentarily expected their appearance over the brow. 



McLeod was not a man to let the grass grow under 

 his feet ; but the Amaswazi had to come a considerable 

 distance over the hill before they got into action ; and as 

 savages will never move to the attack until there is light 

 enough to distinguish friend from foe, we could hardly 

 expect them upon the scene just yet. 



