Lieutenant Baker was placed about 300 yards to my left, and Colonel
Abd-el-Kader about 150 paces to my right. As we faced the high grass we
had the ground clear at our backs, as the young herbage was just
sprouting after the recent burning.
As usual, I was concealed by a large ant-hill, behind which, my two boys
Saat and Bellaal squatted with my spare guns. About 100 yards before me,
in a slight hollow, the grass was quite green, as the depression had
until lately held water. This rank herbage would of course stop the fire
upon its arrival from the sloping hill-face. About forty yards from me
the grass was high and dry.
About half an hour after the guns were posted we heard the whistles, and
shortly after, the smoke rose in various places until at last a crescent
of fire spread over the hill. The wind was very light, therefore the
fire travelled slowly, and the game advanced at an easy pace.
