The Press., 1896-09-10

beside h1m.
 "Sergcant Amun Sah, said tall Haussa, saluting; think there be Sofa man in the bush; monkey frightened live for go away, leopard live fc@ go away too. ''
 The lieutenant listened, while the veins frightened across his forehead, and something seemed to click beneath his right ear, and sure enough rustling amid the trees announced the passage of troop of monkeys, while the long howl of leopard drifted down the night breeze.
 A few moments later all doubt van ished, for a snapping of twigs and swishing of leaves told that large body of men was advancing through the forest.
 At the report of the lieutenant's re- volver the camp awoke, and for few moments, while the bugles rang out the alarm, there was 0 scene Of wild confu- sion. Men still half asleep stumbled over one another toward the stockade. Officers ran here and there with sharp words of command, while the Haussa sergeants effectually aroused any lag gards with the rife butt. If the soldier was a west Indian, the hint was even more vigorous. Then out of chaos came forth order. Lines of men knelt beneath the brushwood screen, supporting their rifle barrels on the branches against the downward drag of the bayonet, while the colonel moved coolly up and down, revolver in hand, and saw that all was ready.
 Just in time, for an outburst of howls and yells rose on the night air. A crac- kling blaze of rife fire ran round the head or ripped through the leafy screen a swarm of dark figures dashed across the open space toward the camp.
 Fire volleys by half comp'nies" shouted the colonel as his heart bound cd and the blood surgcd through his body.
 "NO. 1 Haussas-irC!' tho voice of the constabulary captain sounded clear and distinct, and blaze of light burst from one side of the stcckade, while the crashing report of vollCy rang out through the darkness. Before the sound had died away west Indian lieutenant, farther off in the gloom, re-Cchoed the command, "A omp'ny-tire!" And Q sheet of flame blew along the two ends of the square.
 Before the almost simultaneous dis charge the front of the attacking force melted away. Men lay writhing amid the wet leaves or crawled on hands and knees through the bush, but the Mussul- man, with visions Of black eyed houris and the tree of Sedrat before his eyes, yells the foe spread out and at full speed made for the breastwOrk.
 "Independent firing - commenceP' roared the colonel, and after captain and lieutenants repeated the order, the Haussas, who, used to frontier warfare from childhood, think themselves marks men, took snap shots at the fitting fig ures, but did little harm beyond clip ping clusters of leaves from Overhanging cottonwoods. Meantime the West In dians, who are accustomed to drill in battalions, and fancy they are quite equal to white infantry, after a desul- tory shot or two stood silent with bayO- nets at guard. Next moment the assail- ants swept at the defense only to be met by a glistening wall of steel, and for a short space both sides were locked in a deadly struggle, the officers working their revolvers until the barrels were hot, while the troops fired as fast as they could thrust ill the cartridges. Nothing human could face the murder ous rife blast, and in a few seconds the foe broke away and fled to the bush. For awhile the smoke hung heavily over camp on the damp air, then slowly melted away, and as the colonel rccov, cred his breath he felt his wrist burned by the back splitting of his heated TO volver.
 "That was sharp work, lieutenantl' he said to the young officer of the west Indians "We shall have breathing time now, and then they will come back | How have your men come out of it?''
 At least two dead, sir, and more wounded; but the Haussas got it worse than we did," was the answer as the colonel passed along the line.
 An hour went by, minute following minute slowly-very slowly-as the shadows of the cottonwoOds crept across the clearing, for the moon was sinking behind the western forests. The shim mering silver patches on the grass mar rowed and shortened, but still much O the camp lay bright and clear in tn light. Here and there a wounded Haussa moaned faintly as he struggled to repress a cry that would have beel unworthy in believer in tho Prophet while the west Indian, who possesse neither the resignation of the Christian nor the heathen's contempt of death groaned over his hurts or hurled horri ble curses at the heads of the invisibl foe.
 "Silence, meni" said their lieutenan sternly, whilo the cOnstabulary captail smiled as he remarked: "ThOse fellow of yours are good to fight, but they hay not the stamina of mine. The moon lights going; still if these brutes com back they could pick us off man by mal if they were only able to hit anything As it is, we shall get it hot. The wood are full of them. Then he grasped tn shoulder of his friend and thrust hin forward into the shadow, as a line 0 flame burst out of the bush and fligh of bullets passed over the heads of tn crouching men.
 Without waiting for the word No. company of the west Indians fired vol ley, but as the smoke wreaths blew il the mems faces mocking yell fror the forest told that it had done no harm while with a rattle the troops turne over the sniders to shake out the empt shells.
 Independent firing - commencel the officers shouted, and the men crouching beneath the frail defense ( the breastwork, fired at the flash of thei assailants' pieces, with probably littl result, for the forest was dark, whil the line of branches which defended tn British front was clear and distinct an the blue barrels glinted in the moon light. From behind every cottonwoo l root and wide baObab trunk brigh