CHAP. IX. 
THE WAR 0E THE AXE. 
67 
They turned out to be all that were left of an escort 
which had started from Victoria Post to follow the troops 
with despatches from his Excellency Sir P. Maitland, 
the Governor and Commander-in-Chief, who had arrived 
on the frontier from Cape Town. This corporal had 
been despatched with six men, and followed the 6 spoor 5 
of the troops first to the Debe Flats; then, pushing his 
way towards Burns Hill, he was met at a 4 neck ’ dividing 
the Amabalas from the Taban Doda by a body of 
Kafirs. These he charged, but lost two of his men. 
He then pushed his way on; and seeing the line of 
wagons taken by the enemy the day before, for a 
moment thought it was the camp on the move, but 
found the wagons in possession of the enemy, who 
were still burning them. He was then headed at the 
Keiskama Eiver, where he lost two more of his men, 
and he reached the camp at the Chumie with only one 
man, both their horses being wounded, one through 
the saddle-flap and into the side, and the other in the 
thigh. I sent the despatches on to the head of the 
column by fresh orderlies, and mounted the corporal 
on a spare trooper. 
A few minutes after this despatch-party had left 
Victoria Post, Captain Sandes, of my regiment, with his 
mounted servant and a pack-horse, also started with the 
intention of overtaking the little party and accom¬ 
panying it to join the troops in the field. He did not, 
