110 
SPORT AND WAR. 
CHAP. XIV. 
John Crouch’s horse also became restive, and Currie 
had to hold him while ‘old John,’ who was lame, 
mounted. During this time we were all more or less 
exposed; but knowing the narrow defile we should have 
to pass through, I ordered the wagons to advance. 
Just before we came to the spot where I knew the hot 
part of the attack would be made the road slightly 
diverged to the right, and the view from the rocks 
already occupied by the Kafirs was hidden by some 
large mimosa-trees. At this spot, and before turning 
the corner, I halted the wagons, leaving Sergeant 
Crawford and five men with them. The Kafirs were 
holding the ground on the right of the road in con¬ 
siderable force. Immediately opposite to where they 
were the ground rose to a sort of hillock, dotted 
over with rocks, and the road ran between this hillock 
and the rocks held by them, which also adjoined the 
high forest wood, falling in one continued extent 
towards the Buffalo River. Currie, John Crouch, and 
myself, with the other five men, diverged from the 
road to the left, and so got out of view from the cover 
of the hillock. We at once dismounted, handed our 
horses to one man, and ran up to the mound, each 
taking advantage of a rock for cover. An extra¬ 
ordinary scene at once met our eyes. There were 
about eighty black fellows, with guns, all 6 lying on ’ or 
taking aim over rocks, their guns pointing to the road 
