THE STORMING OF SECOCOENI'S. 



The general rode up and began to give directions 

 about the storming. I carefully watched his face as he 

 sat on horseback, and by its expression I could not see 

 that he was even conscious of the fact that he was being 

 fired at from the kopje. At last the arrangements were 

 completed. The infantry opened a heavy independent 

 fire for a short time, and then a rocket went up, and we 

 rushed forward to storm the position. 



They peppered us from the breastworks and heaved 

 over long-handled assegais at us ; but they made shock- 

 ing bad practice, for we got up close to the foot of the 

 kopje and lay down there without having suffered much 

 loss. 



Close under the kopje we were safe enough, for they 

 could not depress their rifles sufficiently to hit us. 



The Amaswazi now rushed up and joined us, and we 

 were further reinforced by some infantry. 



The advance was sounded, and we went up the face of 

 the kopje, clambering over the breastworks and wind- 

 ing our way up amongst the big rocks, shooting such of 

 the enemy as had not time to escape into the caves. 

 We lost a few men by shots fired from the caves, but we 

 did not suffer nearly as much as I expected we should. 

 As I was ascending I came to a big rock, and had the 

 option of passing either to the right or the left of it. It 

 was fortunate that I did neither. 



The sergeant-major passed round the left of it, and 

 got knocked over by a charge of slugs in the jaw, and an 

 Amaswazi warrior going to the right of the rock fell dead 

 with a ball through his body. 



Considering the locality most unhealthy, I made a 

 detour to avoid it altogether. 



While we were struggling up the kopje, I felt a hand 



