neighbourhood, we mounted the Krupp gun and advanced.

Before very long we heard firing on our right flank rear. After a consultation, we came to the conclusion that it must be the Commandant, who had taken the direct road to the bomas with the object of attacking them in front, and who was to have followed us within half an hour. It being then too late to turn back, we advanced at the double, hoping to arrive in time to attack the rear of the force before he had effected an entry. To our astonishment, however, on arriving in a sort of cul-de-sac of open ground — at no point more than four hundred yards wide, and surrounded on three sides by forest — we were hailed by volleys on both flanks and in front at the same time.

We had run in between two columns of advancing Arabs,