78 Pages - The Black Vault

Third“So when we take tea with a few guns, o ‘course you willknow what do cfo-boo! boo!” KIPLING.1was at Duffer’s Drift on a similar sunny afternoonand under precisely similar conditions, except that1 now had seven lessons running through my mind,I at once sent out two patrols, each of one NCOand three men, one to the north and one to the south.They were to visit all neighboring farms and kraalsand bring in all able-bodied Dutch men and boys andmale Kaffirs—by persuasion if possible, but by forceif necessary. This would prevent the news of our arrivalbeing carried round to any adjacent commandos,and would also assist to solve the labou Fquestion. A small guard was mounted on the top ofWaschout Hill as a look-out.I decided that as the drift could not get up and runaway, it was not necessary to take up my post or positionquite close to it. especially as such a positionwould be under close rifle fire from the river bank,to which the approaches were quite concealed, andwhich gave excellent cover. The very worst place forsuch a position seemed to be anywhere within theI\27JL