126 TALES OF A NOMAD. 



As he recognised me his eyes softened, the blood 

 mania vanished, and in his old pleasant voice he said : 

 " Ah, is that you? We are well met here; see I killed 

 him you bear witness that I was the first man at the 

 door of the king's hut" So saying, he stepped with me 

 behind the cover of a hut, and we chatted for a few 

 minutes. 



If H. N. and good, kind, old A. W. S. be still alive, as 

 indeed I hope they are, let them testify to this incident 



For the first time in my life I experienced a wish that 

 I had been of simple and not of gentle birth. An order 

 had been issued that all plunder was to be pooled and 

 subsequently divided amongst the force. 



The king's kraal contained treasures of ivory, karosses, 

 etc., etc., which was very tempting, not merely from their 

 intrinsic value, but from their peculiar suitability as 

 souvenirs of this day of battle. This was one of the 

 occasions on which it was decidedly unpleasant to be 

 strictly honest 



The town was now completely in our possession, and 

 in a few minutes more was wreathed in flames. 



We sounded the retire, and returned in Indian file 

 across the plain, taking care to make a detour round the 

 fighting kopje. As we were passing it I was walking 

 beside one of our men, who suddenly sat down without 

 warning. A bullet fired from the kopje had perforated 

 the calf of his leg. 



We now joined the troops who had encircled the 

 kopje, extended and lay down to await further orders. 



A number of Amaswazi came up now and sat down 

 in a little hollow near us. 



The seven-pounder shells seemed to have no effect 

 whatever upon the stone breastworks of the kopje. 



