CHAP. XII. 
THE BATTLE OF THE GUANGA. 
95 
whereupon he relinquished his hold and fell back in a 
faint. 
I was very anxious to take this great chief back a 
prisoner myself, so I called a Cape Mounted Bifle soldier 
near me and directed him to go to the Gfuanga Biver, 
close by, and bring me his forage-cap full of water, in¬ 
tending to bring the old w r arrior to therewith. Now, 
there was a reach of water at this spot, known as the Sea- 
cow Hole, or pool where hippopotami used to hide ; yet 
the man came back and said to me, 6 Master, I can¬ 
not bring the water ; it is all blood . 5 This was from 
the number of wounded Kafirs who had jumped into 
this water to hide themselves, there being little or 
no cover in the open. However, by this time the 
chief had recovered from the faint, and I had got my 
horse’s 6 reim ’ round his neck, to lead him back a 
prisoner. 
On my way back, however, I was very near losing my 
prize. The Commander of the Forces had allowed a 6 free 
troop’ to join the army ; it was composed of farmers and 
others who had been burned out by the Kafirs. They 
equipped themselves and received no pay, but were 
allowed to retain all the cattle, &c. which they captured. 
They were under little or no discipline, and were very 
bitter against the Kafirs. 
The captain of this troop, seeing a prisoner in my 
hands, galloped up, and was in the act of shooting him, 
