120 
SPORT AND WAR. 
CHAP. XV. 
or three hundred yards ahead, driving the cattle as fast 
as they could along the deep sands. I called the six or 
eight men together, and, standing in my stirrups, I 
said in a low voice to the men 4 Charge! 5 and we raced 
on until we came to within fifty yards of the Kafirs and 
cattle. Up to this time they had never once looked 
hack, being apparently quite unaware of our near ap¬ 
proach ; and the sand was so deep and soft that there 
was not the least noise from the horses’ hoofs. I saw 
that most of the Kafirs were armed with guns, the re¬ 
mainder with assaigais, and I felt that we should be 
amongst them at a disadvantage, because half the effect 
of a charge is caused by a panic to the other side. I 
therefore again rose in my stirrups and shouted a great 
shout, and with that we were upon them. Our horses 
were perfectly pumped ; and as I pulled up suddenly 
to shoot a Kafir who was taking aim at me, two of the 
seven troopers also pulled up so suddenly in the deep 
sand that they flew over their horses’ heads like shuttle¬ 
cocks. Each of these men shot a Kafir before they rose 
from their sitting position. My opponent could not 
stand the two barrels that were staring him in the face; 
he missed me, and as he turned got the contents of one 
barrel, which tumbled him over. Three other fellows 
were shot before they got up the sandhills and into 
the bush. 
The firing made the cattle 4 spurt ’ to the front along 
