6 
SPORT AKD WAR. 
CHAP. II. 
between the Kap and Coombs Bush. It was a regular 
case of 6 Devil take the hindmost,’ and I was left to 
shift for myself. The Kafirs left in the Kap River 
Bush were still streaming across this open, not knowing 
that any of the patrol were there, and several of them 
with assaigais passed within a few yards of me. I 
was enabled to keep them off by pointing my gun at 
them, but had I fired at any one of them the Kafir 
with his bundle of seven assaigais would have had the 
advantage before I could re-load. The scattered patrol, 
however soon returned from the Coombs Bush unsuc¬ 
cessful ; and as one of them (Mr. Carter) had a spare 
horse it was given to me, and the patrol proceeded on 
to Kafir Drift post, which we reached just as it was 
getting dark. 
This patrol was sent down to reinforce the post. 
The post was there , but the troops were gone—the 
officer commanding had fallen back the day before on 
Bathurst. Very little transport had been available 
for this service, and I am sorry to say there must have 
been some degree of panic, for on our arrival at the 
post on the evening of Christmas Day we found dinner 
and all sorts of good things prepared ; the larder was 
full of good beef, turkeys, fowls, &c.; in the pantries 
were ready-made puddings, and wine actually cooling 
in the cellars, besides which the 6 yards ’ were full of 
poultry of all descriptions, and there was plenty of 
