366 
CATTLE STEALERS AT NIGHT . 
[chap. IX, 
“ June 21 st. —Nil. 
“June 22 d .—We were awoke last night by a report 
from the sentry that natives were prowling around the 
camp; — I accordingly posted three additional guards. 
At a little after 2 a.m. a shot was fired, followed by two 
others in quick succession, and a sound as of many feet 
running quickly was heard passing the entrance of the 
camp. I was up in a moment, and my men were 
quickly under arms : the Turks’ drum beat, and their 
camp (that was contiguous to mine) was alive with 
men, but all was darkness. I lighted my policeman’s 
lantern, that was always kept ready trimmed, and I 
soon arrived at the spot where the shot had been fired. 
The natives had been endeavouring to steal the cattle 
from the Turks’ kraal, and favoured by the darkness 
they had commenced burrowing with the intention of 
removing the thorn bushes that formed the fence. Un¬ 
fortunately for the thieves, they were unaware that 
there were watchers in the kraal among the cattle : 
it was a pitch dark night, and nothing could be dis¬ 
tinguished ; but the attention of one of the sentries was 
attracted by the snorting and stamping of the' goats, 
that evidently denoted the presence of something un¬ 
common. He then perceived close to him, on the other 
side the hedge, a dark object crouching, and others 
standing, and he heard the bushes moving as though 
