CHAP. XY. 
THE BEEKA MOUTH. 
121 
the narrow beach, and I and two men had to gallop 
through the water (up to our horses’ girths) to get in 
front of them; and here we found a nearly equal 
number of Kafirs, who were running, as is their 
custom, in front of the cattle. These warriors were 
chiefly armed with assaigais, which they began to hurl 
at us. One great fellow drew a second spear, and as 
he raised his arm to throw it at me I let fly my second 
barrel, putting the contents into his left breast, and he 
immediately subsided. This firing checked the cattle, 
and we turned and drove them back. As the rest of the 
Kafirs escaped into the bush I noticed that the Kafir 
whom I last shot was carrying one of their knapsacks 
over his shoulder, which bulged out and appeared to 
contain something unusual. I therefore jumped from 
my horse and slipped this sack or bag from off his 
neck and placed it over my own shoulder. The poor 
fellow was still breathing, for both these men were 
shot with partridge-shot. I had lent my gun the day 
before to Major Burnaby, R.A., to shoot partridges near 
the camp, and had quite forgotten to reload with ball 
in the hurry of leaving the camp. 
The Governor dropped down the bank of the river 
on to the level beach just in time to see the charge, 
and was highly pleased at the success of the pursuit; 
and with the additional aid we soon got the cattle back 
on to the open country. 
