144 
SPORT AND WAR. 
CHAP. XVII. 
steep hill, but the infantry fell in and opened fire on 
the enemy. Our position, however, was so unfavour¬ 
able that an advance was ordered. At the top of the 
mountain the glade continued four or five hundred 
yards, with bush on each side very close up, and large 
shelving rocks on the left, known afterwards as the 
Marine Eocks. The troops had to push their way through 
this glade under a heavy fire from the bush and rocks 
the whole time. It is, therefore, not to be wondered at 
that there was a little haste and confusion. The four 
men who were carrying me in a blanket dropped me in 
the grass and ran on with the stream. I knew per¬ 
fectly well that the moment the rear passed a Kafir 
would run out of the bush and cut my throat. I there¬ 
fore tried to pull myself along on my back in the grass 
with my hands, but I made very little progress. The 
cavalry were now passing at the trot. Several horses 
were shot in the melee ; and a serjeant named Extein 
was running on foot, when all at once he fell over me in 
the grass. Looking round, he rose and said, 4 Ohg, myn 
Grot, is dat zuer ?’ I replied, 4 Yes, Extein; don’t leave 
me.’ And he answered, 4 No, sir.’ Catching hold of the 
reins of four successive troopers as they were passing, 
* 
he ordered the men to dismount, let the horses run 
loose, and said, 4 Carry on the master.’ In this way I 
had my life saved on the second day. 
The troops soon got through this narrow defile, and 
