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.
I now ordered a general advance at the double; and the troops spread out
through the extensive town of huts, which occupied about thirty acres.
