58 
SPORT AND WAR. 
CHAP. IX. 
our right; but immediately on our own right front a 
large body of the enemy were drawn up in the shape of 
a crescent, with a dense forest immediately in their 
rear ; and, to make the position more difficult, there was 
a tangled mass of bramble-bush and swamp between us 
and them. 
The Kafirs having challenged us to battle, a 
consultation took place between Majors Armstrong and 
Sutton, who decided that we could not in their then 
position attack them. I was only a subaltern in those 
days, but I remember that we were all very much dis¬ 
gusted at the disappointment; and, to make things 
worse, as the column was marching right in front the 
major wished to counter-march it in the face of the 
enemy, to make the men front towards the Kafirs when 
halted. My friend Johnny Armstrong (lieutenant) 
commanded one squadron and I another, and we both 
remonstrated against this move, but halted and fronted 
to our right. This brought us at once face to face with 
the enemy, although inverted by threes. We were both 
reprimanded for this afterwards, but I am quite sure 
it was the only thing to do. Had the counter-march 
been continued it would have appeared to the enemy 
like a retreat, and an immediate attack from them 
would have followed, while the men were in confusion, 
for the Kat River Volunteers knew very little of any 
drill. As it was our front and advance dispersed the 
