LieutenantBaker’snewhousewasignited。Onebyoneeveryhutwasfired。Therear-guard，havingdonetheirduty，closedupinthelineofmarch。
　　Ididnotgivetheword”Forward！”untiltheflameshadshotuphighintheair，andthestationwasinthepossessionofthefire。Atthismomentaloudreportannouncedthatalltherocketshadexploded。Theadvance-guardmovedforward，andthemarchcommenced。
　　Wesoonenteredthehighgrass，whichwasreekingwiththelightrain，andwewerewetthroughinaninstant。
　　Mywifewaswalkingclosebehindmewithaquantityofspareammunitionforthe”Dutchman”inherbreast。ShehadaColt’srevolverinherbelt。
　　LieutenantBakerwasheavilyloaded，ashecarriedaPurdyrifleslungacrosshisback，togetherwithalargebagofammunition，whileheheldadoublebreechloadersmooth-boreinhishand，withabagofheavybuckshotcartridgesuponhisshoulder。
　　SuleimanandMohammedHaroonourservantswereclosebywithmytwobreechloadingNo。8elephantrifles。Thesecarriedpicrateofpotashshellsthatwereimmenselypowerful。Verylittlewouldhavebeenleftofthebodyofamanhadoneofsuchshellsstruckhiminthechest。
　　Thecattlebegantocausemuchtroubleassoonasthemarchcommenced，andweslowlydescendedtheknolluponwhichthestationstood，andinsinglefileenteredtheextremelynarrowpathwhichleddowntoasmallswamp。
　　Crossingtheswamp，throughdeepmud，wearrivedonfirmground，andcontinuedtomarchslowly，onaccountofthecattle。Ifeltsuretheywouldhavetobeabandoned。Thecowsstrayedtotherightandleft，andMorgiantheBari，andAbdullahDjoorthecook，whowerethedrovers，wererushingaboutthegrassinpursuitofrefractoryanimals，thatwouldshortlyendinbeingspearedbytheenemy。
　　Wethusmarchedforaboutamilebeforeahostilesoundwasheard。Wethendistinguishedthetumultuousvoicesofthenativesintherear，whohadbeenattractedtothestationbythegeneralconflagration。
　　Theslowmarchcontinued，throughgrassabouteightfeethigh，andoccasionalforest。Therainnowdescendedsteadily，andIfearedthattheoldmuzzle-loadingmusketswouldmissfire。
　　Thesoundofdrumsandhornswasnowheardthroughoutthecountry，asthealarmspreadrapidlyfromvillagetovillage。Wecouldheartheshoutsofnatives，anddrumsthatwerenowsoundingintheforestuponahillonourright。Thesepeoplewereevidentlyinpossessionofapathunknowntous，whichranparalleltoourroute。
　　Forsevenhoursthemarchcontinuedwithsuchfrequenthalts，owingtothestrayingofthecattle，thatwehadonlyprogressedtheshortdistanceoftenmiles，when，at4。40P。M。，weenteredthevalleyofJonJoke。WesawbeforeusthehillcoveredwithplantaingroveswherewehadsleptwhenuponthemarchtoMasindi。
　　Thegrasswasveryhigh，andthepathhardlyafootwide，onlyresemblingasheeprun。Suddenlytheadvance-guardopenedahotfire，andthebuglesounded”halt！”
　　Afewpacesinfrontofme，myfavouritesailorandfisherman，Howarti，wasintheline，carryingametalboxuponhishead。Inadditiontohismusket，whichwasslungacrosshisshoulders，Ihadgivenhimoneofmydoublebreechloadingpistols，whichhecarriedinhisbelt。
　　Thewordwassuddenlypassedthat”Howartiwasspeared！”
　　Lancesnowflewacrossthepath，andthelineopenedfireintothegrassuponourright，accordingtoorders。
　　IimmediatelywentuptoHowarti。Ifoundhimsittinguponthegroundbythesideofhisbox，intheactofreloadinghispistolwithaBoxercartridge。Alancehadstruckhiminthefleshypartoftherightarm，justbelowthepointofjunctionwiththeshoulder，and，passingthroughhisbody，ithadprotrudedfromhisstomach。Uponfeelingthewound，Howartihaddroppedhisload，anddrawinghispistol，heshotthenativedead，asheleaptfromhisambushtorecoverthelancewhichwasstickinginthepoorfellow’sbody。
　　Herewasanotherofmybestmensacrificed。Howartihadalwaysbeenatrue，goodman，andhehadjustexhibitedhiscoolcourage。Hehadhimselfpulledthespearfromhisbody。
　　MywifehadfollowedmeimmediatelyuponhearingthatHowartiwasinjured。Hehadreloadedhispistol，butinreplytomyquestionwhetherhecouldsituponadonkey，hefainted。Iroughlybandagedhimforthepresentmoment，andwelaidhimuponanangarebstretcher-bedstead，butthemenweresoheavilyladenthatitwasdifficulttofindsupporters。LieutenantBakerkindlytookoneenduponhisshoulder，andwiththeassistanceoftheguard，wecarriedhimforward。Thebuglesoundedthe”advance。”
　　Againthelancesflewacrossthepath，butafewshotswiththesnidersclearedtheway，andleavingthenarrowroute，webrokeourwaythroughthetangledgrass，andascendedtheslopetotheplantainforest。Here，thankgoodness，therewasnograss。Thebuglesounded”halt”inthemiddleoftheplantains。
　　Sentrieshavingbeenposted，everymanwasnowemployedinfellingthetallplantaintrees，andinarrangingthemtoformawallaroundthecamp。
　　Oneblowofasharp，heavysabrewillcutthroughthestem，thusinashorttime，asweallworked，aclearingofaboutanacrewasmade，andbysunsetwehadpiledthemsoastoformatolerableprotectionfromlances。
　　Throughoutthedayithadneverceasedraining，thuseveryonewassoakingandmiserable。Ofcoursewehadnotent，butsomeinvaluablemackintoshcampsheets。IhadexaminedHowarti’swounds，whichIknewweremortal。Theairashebreathedwasrattlingthroughthegashinhisstomach。Iwashedandbandagedhimcarefully，andgavehimadoseofbrandyandlaudanum。
　　Noonehadadropofwatertodrink，neitherdidanyoneknowthedirectionofthewell；but，asallwerecoldandwetthrough，nopersonsufferedfromthirst。Fortunately，wehadmatchesinasmallsilvercasethathadresistedthedamp；andaftersomedifficultyanddelay，fireswereblazingthroughthelittlebivouac，andthesoldiersandwomenwerecrouchingroundthem。
　　Wewerecomfortablethatnight，aswehadbedstolieupon；butIfeltsureitwouldbeforthelasttime，asitwouldbenecessarytodestroymuchluggage，themenbeingtooheavilyladen。
　　Allwasatlengthstill；thesoldiers，whoweretired，wenttosleep，withtheexceptionofthesentries，whowerewellonthealert。
　　AsIlayonmybed，Ithoughtofthemorrow。Iknewweshouldhaveatryingtime，asthewholecountrywouldnowbethoroughlyorganizedagainstus。OurstartfromMasindihadtakenthembysurprise——thuswehadnotmetwithmuchresistance；butto-morrowwouldbeafightingday，andImadeupmymindtoleavethecattletothemselves，asitwouldbesimplyimpossibletodrivethem。
　　Thenightpassedwithoutanattack。
　　Onthefollowingmorning，15thJune，poorHowartiwasevidentlyabouttodie，butthepluckyfellowfaintlysaidthathecouldrideadonkeyifassisted。Itwasimpossibletocarryhimasthepathwastoonarrowforfourpeopletowalkbeneathastretcher。Hewasplaceduponadonkey，andsupportedwithdifficultybyamanathisside。
　　Iwasobligedtopileuponthefireanumberofthingsthatwecouldnotcarry，includingthelargeoakenstandoftheastronomicaltelescope。
　　Itwas7。30A。M。beforewestarted。
　　Thetroublesomecattleatoncebegantostray，andIimmediatelyorderedthemtobeabandoned。Ifeltcertainthatintheeventofageneralattacktheywouldhavecreatedgreatconfusion，byprobablyrushingdownthelineandoverturningthemen。
　　Itwasthegreatestrelieftoberidoftheanimals：thuswemarchedonmerrilyatabouttwoandahalfmilesanhour，throughtheusualnarrowpathamidstgiganticgrassnowaboutninefeethighandthickforest。
　　Inaboutanhourandahalfwearrivedatadescent，towardsabottominwhichtherewasabroad，openswamp，withastreamrunningthroughthecentre。
　　Theadvance-guardwasnotmorethanahundredyardsfromthebottom，andthelinewasdescendingthehillincloseorder，whenasuddenuproarbrokeout，asthoughallthedemonsofhellwereletloose。Yells，screams，drums，horns，whistlesfrommanythousandconcealedenemies，foraninstantstartledthetroops！Atremendousrushinthegrassgavenoticeofageneralattackfromanimmenselypowerfulambuscade。Theofficersdidtheirduty。
　　Everyloadwasupontheground，andinamomentalternatefileswerefacingtotherightandleft，kneelingjustasthelancesbegantoflyacrossthepath。Thebuglesrangout”fire，”andthefightcommencedonourside。
　　Isawseverallancespasswithinaninchortwoofmywife’shead；
　　luckilywewerekneelingononeknee。Thefile-firingwasextremelygood，andthesnidersrattledwithoutintermission。Thegrasswassodense，thatsimplebuck-shotwouldbereducedtoaverylimitedrange，althoughexcellentatclosequarters。Theservantsquicklyhandedtheelephantbreechloaders，andadoubleshottotherightandleftwasfollowedbytheloudexplosionofthepicrateofpotashshellsagainstsomeunseenobjects，eithermenortrees。
　　Aquickrepetitionofthepicrateshellsseemedtoaffectthespiritoftheattack。Iimaginethattheextremelyloudexplosionoftheshellsinthemidst，andperhapsalsointherearoftheenemy，ledthemtosupposethattheywereattackedfrombehind。
　　Itisdifficulttosayhowlongtheattackcontinued，butavastamountofammunitionwasexpendedbeforethelancesceasedtoflythroughtheline，andthedrumsandhornswereatlengthheardatagreaterdistanceintherear。Thebugleatoncesoundedthe”advance，”andImarchedthemenforward，crossingthestreamatthebottom，andgainedtheopen，wherewefoundourselvesinakindofswampyfieldofabouttenacres。”Ha！”exclaimedmanyofthesoldiers，”ifwecouldonlygetthemonaclearspacelikethis。”
　　Themenweremustered。PoorHowartiwasdead，andtheyhadlefthiminthegrassbytheroadside，asitwasimpossibletotransporthim。
　　Therear-guardhadbeenhotlypressed，andthenativeshadrusheduponthepathclosetothesniders，whichhadpunishedthemseverely。Hadwedependeduponmuzzle-loadingmuskets，thepartywouldhavebeenquicklydestroyed；thesharpfireofthesnidersatclosequartersmusthavecausedimmenselossatthefirstonset。