290 PLAN AN ATTACK TO AVENGE THEM. [chap. x. 



rascality, and were really going home in good earnest. 

 Amiral's men slept a couple of miles away from mine, 

 so as to disarm all notion of a concerted expedition, 

 but at one o'clock in the morning the old scamp got 

 up quietly with about half his men and joined me. 

 I left sufficient people behind to resist any Damaras 

 in case they attacked the camp during my absence, and 

 we were all oif under the escort of Amiral's spy at 

 two. It was a very dark night, and we scrambled 

 do-wTi the gorge and through the trees of the plain 

 till about four o'clock, when we stopped, as there was 

 some doubt as to where we were, and runners were 

 sent ahead in all directions to explore the country for 

 a mile or two round. Just as the first streaks of 

 light appeared in the sky the wished-for information 

 came ; there was no time to be lost, and we all ran in 

 a glorious state of excitement across the country. The 

 light quickly increased, and by the time that the sky 

 was grey we were all behind a mound, watching keenly 

 for some indication of the exact position of the werft, 

 which we were assured was close by us. At length a 

 slender column of smoke was seen, and instantly the 

 charge was ordered. Amii'al, Andersson, and myseK, 

 with four or five others, were to go straight on ; ten 

 men were to make a sweep, and run down upon the 

 werft on the right and ten on the left. Nobody was 

 to fire unless the natives used their assegais. Off 

 they were ; our party walked slowly to give the 

 others time, but the dogs of the werft heard us ; in 

 an instant the alarm was given, and no time was to be 

 lost, so we in the centre were obliged to make a rush 



