Without the slightest provocation we were thus treacherously attacked,
and heavy file-firing continued upon the station. The bullets were
whistling through the straw huts, and seven of my men, including Molodi,
were struck within a few seconds.
My wife, who was always ready in any emergency, rushed out of her hut
with my rifle and belt.
The soldiers had already commenced firing by the time that I was armed
and had reached the front, by the edge of the light fence of wattles.
I now observed the enemy about ninety yards distant; many of them were
kneeling on the ground and firing, but immediately after taking a shot,
they retired behind the huts to reload. In this manner they were keeping
up a hot fire.
I perceived a man in white upper garments, but with black trousers: this
fellow knelt and fired. I immediately took a shot at him with the
"Dutchman."
We should have lost many men if this hiding behind huts and popping from
cover had been allowed to continue. I therefore called my "Forty
Thieves" together, and ordered the bugler to sound the charge with the
bayonet.
Pushing through the narrow wicket gateway, I formed some thirty or forty
men in line and led them at full speed with fixed bayonets against the
enemy.
Although the slave-hunters had primed themselves well with araki and
merissa before they had screwed up courage to attack the troops, they
were not quite up to standing before a bayonet charge. The "Forty
Thieves" were awkward customers, and in a quarter of a minute they were
amongst them.
The enemy were regularly crumpled up! and had they not taken to flight,
they would have been bayoneted to a man.
I now saw Wat-el-Mek in his unmistakable yellow suit; he was marching
alone across a road about 180 yards distant.
He was crossing to my right; and I imagined, as he was alone, that he
intended to screen himself behind the houses, and then surrender.
To my surprise, I observed that when he recognized me, he at once raised
his gun and took a steady aim.
I was at that moment reloading; but I was ready the instant that he had
fired and missed me.
He now walked towards a hut across to my right. I allowed about half a
foot before him for his pace, and the "Dutchman" had a word to say.
The bullet struck his right hand, taking the middle finger off at the
root, and then striking the gun in the middle of the lock plate, it cut
it completely in halves as though it had been divided by a blow with an
axe. He was almost immediately taken prisoner. One of "The Forty"
(Seroor) was so enraged that he was with difficulty prevented from
finishing Wat-el-Mek with a bayonet thrust.
