190 
THE NEW AFRICA 
At any rate we made a strong ‘ skerm,’ and eating of our letzwee 
meat and stewed mabulas, made a hearty meal and prepared 
for the night. 
Hammar was to take the first watch as before, and I the 
second, from midnight till break of day. Fatigue played no role 
in the execution of this duty. We had carried heavy packs all 
day, and now neither of us contemplated shirking the responsi¬ 
bility of watching half the night alone for a moment. Our boys 
were useless as watchers; for once by the fireside at night, 
after a hard day’s work, even the redoubtable Chiki was not 
to be depended on to take a share of the watch; and as one 
of us had in any case to remain awake, it was superfluous to 
keep one of the boys from their much needed rest. Their eyes 
would close even if life was the forfeit. Those who have never 
tried it may perhaps think it is not so difficult a matter to keep 
awake half the night after a hard day’s tramp. But the absolute 
dreariness of the watch, especially in the small hours of the 
morning between three and five A.M., when all is still, and the 
only diversion is kicking up the fire now and then, while as one 
sits the eyelids sink and sink down without one’s knowing it, 
and asleep one fancies one’s-self awake, or awake fancies one’s-self 
asleep, it does not matter which, for one is nearly asleep in 
either case, to wake up with a start and hurriedly reinspect all 
the shadows, nooks, and corners where a possible enemy might 
be lurking, thanking one’s stars that for this once the expected 
assegai has not passed crashing through one’s ribs, the thought 
of which possibility keeps one wide awake for the rest of the 
watch ! And then the dawn that will never come! If one could 
only be up and promenading about it would not be so bad, but 
it is not safe to walk about, for in so doing, whilst one’s back 
is turned at either end of the promenade, a silent dark figure 
may slip up between the shadows to take nearer cover in the 
intervals. No, the cruelty lies in the fact that one must sit 
still and endeavour to hear rather than see any movement. 
From the back one is protected by the skerm; an attack will 
come from the front, and this is the point to be guarded. Then 
