Between Snow and Fire — page 120: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

‘TWEEN svow AND Fire. But they were in for it now, and ,soon the path opened, and before and beneath them lay a network of kloofs covered with a thick, jungly scrub, here and there a rugged kraniz shooting up from the waves of foliage. Nota sound was heard as they filed on in the cloudless stillness of the sunny forenoon. Even the birds were silent in that great lonely valley. ‘There,’ whispered the Bomvana, when they had gone some distance further. ‘ There is the cattle.” He pointed to a long, winding kloof whose entrance was commanded by cliffs on either side. Looking cautiously around, they entered this. Soon they could hear the sound of voices. “By George! We are on them now,” said Shelton in a low tone. ‘ But, keep cool, men—only keep cool!” They ‘passed a large kraal which was quite deserted, but only just, for the smoke still rose from more than one fire, and a couple of dogs were yet skulking around the huts. Eagerly and in silence they pressed forward, and lo—turn- ing anangle of the cliff—there burst upon their view a sight which amply repaid the risk of the enterprise they had embarked upon. For the narrow defile was full of cattle— an immense herd—which were being driven forward as rapidly and as quietly as the two score armed savages in their rear could drive them. Clearly the latter had got wind of their approach, ‘‘ Allamaghtaag /’’ exclaimed one of the men, catching sight of the mass of animals, which, plunging and crowding over each other, threaded their way through the bushina dozen separate, but closely packed, columns. “ Whata take ! A thousand at least!” “ Ping—ping! Whigge!’” The bullets began to sing about their ears,and from the bush around there issued puffs of smoke. The Kafirs who were driving the cattle, seeing that the invaders were so few, dropped down into cover and opened a brisk fire, but too late. Quickly the foremost half of the patrol, reining in, had poured a couple of effective volleys into them, and at least a dozen of their number lay stretched upon the ground, stone dead or writh- ing in the throes of death; while several more might be seen limping off as well as they could, their only thought now being to save their own lives. The rest melted away into the bush, whencethey kept up atolerably brisk fire, and the (ECO HAiCel oxox) t <Si (e(o) m