Kazimoto began to be busy supplying cartridges.
In that first real pinch we were in he certainly lived up to all Courtney had said of him, for without the stimulus of his proper master's eye he neither flinched nor faltered, but crawled from one to the other, dividing the spare rounds equally.
The Masai began to attempt to outflank us, but my position on the ant-hill to the rear made that impossible; they found themselves faced by a side of the triangle from whichever side they attacked.

But in turning to keep an eye on the flank I became aware of a greater danger.
The cattle were coming back.

That meant that the other Masai were coming, too, and that in a few moments we were likely to be overwhelmed.

I shouted to Will and Brown, but either they did not hear me, or did not have time to answer.
I fired half a dozen shots, and then distinctly heard the crack of a rifle from beyond the cattle.

That gave matters the worst turn yet.
If one of the raiders had a rifle, then unless I could spot him at once and put him out of action our cause was likely lost.