CHAP. XVII. 
THE BOOMAH PASS. 
137 
was firing; and there was, therefore, no alternative hut 
to press forward and get the men out of the bush. It 
must also be remembered that the column, being in 
Indian file, extended for a great length along the pass. 
The head of the column soon fought its way over 
the advanced horn of the cliff, and made a stand, driving 
back a large mass of the enemy, who had come round 
the base of a wooded hill where the ravine entered the 
Keiskama Kiver. This portion of the column then 
forced their way up the wooded slope and gained the 
open, where the Kafir police and Cape Mounted Kifles 
were formed up; but the centre of the broken line of 
infantry was attacked with such impetuosity that they 
had to diverge from the regular track after passing 
over what I call 4 the horn,’ and were forced through 
the bush on to the open some distance to our left 
rear. 
I managed to sit my horse until I reached the 
cavalry; but as I approached a knot of dismounted 
brother officers I felt so faint that I should have fallen 
from my horse had I not been caught by one or two 
of them. The blood had been continually pouring from 
my wounds, and I should have bled to death before a 
doctor arrived had it not been for Carey, who had a 
tourniquet round his body, which he at once took off 
and applied to my thigh, and so partially stopped the 
bleeding. 
