1 ALARM OF THE NATIVES. 377
2 shot, aimed at the largest house in the place,
3 plumped into the midst of it, and raised a
4 cloud of dust that took several minutes to
5 settle. Our attention was then directed to a
6 lofty tower, in which numbers of men had
7 taken refuge ; and whilst firing at this, a stray
8 shell happening to descend into a corner of
9 the village, turned out a number of individuals,
10 who proceeded at full tilt across a hill at its
11 back, and behind which another fell, and burst-
12 ing, drove out a number of women who had
13 taken shelter there, and who now, not knowing
14 where to hide themselves from the deadly
15 missiles, again sought refuge in their houses.
16 “The Colonel, unwilling to make an unne-
17 cessary sacrifice of life, but determined to show
18 his threats were not to be disregarded with
19 impunity, now ordered the firing to cease, and
20 we moved along the banks of the river until
21 we reached a small village, in front of which
22 the stream makes a considerable bend, thus
23 leaving an open space of ground, which
24 formed an eligible situation for an oytwork.
25 A difch and mound were forthwith dug and