Wilmshurst of the Frontier Force

lts they eagerly hastened to meet the new danger, knowing that with the destruction of their baggage and tra

ctory although well-intentioned. In open order with flankers thrown out the Waffs hu

referring to the lieutenant left in charge of the camp. "He has MacGregor

ns, sir," replied

e've been running after the shadow and t

th a written message. The maj

he remarked, after the runner had bee

sir?" asked t

is kloof? Three platoons are to lie in ambush at that spot, another-yours, Mr. Wilmshurst-will take up a position two miles to the north-west, in cas

almost out of sight. Then the detachment, moving to the right in column of fou

ing back to the old days when the Arab slave-raiders traversed the greater part of Central Africa in search of "black ivory," and was now greatly overgrown by cacti and other fibrous plants. Here and there palm trees had fallen completely a

lies buzzed in swarms, snakes and lizards, their hitherto undisturbed solitude rudely shaken by the stealthy patter of three score pairs of bare feet, wriggled across the s

y had taken. Halting his men Wilmshurst, assisted by Sergeant Bela Moshi, examined the ground. There were evidences that a number of European and native tr

fast no time," meaning that the animal was a British Army mount (this from t

In that case the fellow's taken the wrong track. He'll be back shortly. Hope it will

y the makers of the road. It was an ideal spot for an ambuscade. Sheltering behind the cacti that abundantly covered the hill the Haussas could extend on a fairly broad front, and concentrate a heavy fire upon any enemy retiring along

fic roar and a tremendous cloud of dust, an explosive missi

lmshurst. "That's a thunderi

rrific glare the subaltern glanced aloft to see a large seaplane that, having completed a long volplane, had restarted its engine. By the conspicuous marks on the wings and fuselage Wilmshurst made the

put the kybosh on our chances of surprising the Boches. Lu

bird" could possibly make a mistake, and that it must be a Boche machine, Dudley awaited developments, watching

rear of the Haussas' line, while a few seconds later a thir

now sarcastic

ckled, "you'd better hook it. My word, if ever I me

heir mistake or else having been called up by wireless to attack more numerous forces, desisted from their present operation

ove lest a keen-eyed Askari should detect their presence, the Waffs hugged the su

appeared to the still hopeful Haussas that their foes had effected a retreat in a different direction from that expected. With the fall of night a large hos

claimed Beta Mo

d clips of cartridges into the magazines of their rifles, and, the exact range being known, had set sights to eight

. The Huns were moving rapidly, although there were no sounds to indicate that the

Wilmshurst, gleefully, then, "No.

away on the left front

ily, vowing to make it hot for the luckless black who

almost in the jaws of the trap that awaited them; then at a hot pace they

that shot, sergeant,

hen the platoon was paraded and every man's

s a dead cert that none of my men fired.

g officer offering to search the bush in the direction from which the shot came, for the men of the extr

d Wilmshurst. "Hurry back

in starting upon their hazardous quest. Armed only wit

d as the parched earth rapidly radiated its heat. Presently the stars began to glimmer i

d. Sixty hours of almost continuous and strenuous work were beginning to tell. Most of the Haussas, utterly worn out, were sleeping in easy yet undignified postu

times he pulled himself together, only to realise that th

autious challenge of one of the sentries.

errogatively, as the stalwart bl

l, with the important air of a pe

rrel," replied the subalter

mperturbable Haussa, holding up a small, gl

ding his electric torch to the base of the case he

he Roman numeral V., which showed that the cartridge was si

ttered Wilmshur