Bullets spattered now and then against the rocks, and one sang unpleasantly near my head.

In this way we covered three-fourths of the distance, and had only the bare dozen yards where the gradient eased off up to the edge of the _kranz_.
Blenkiron got hit in the leg, our only casualty.

There was nothing for it but to carry him, so I swung him on my shoulders, and with a bursting heart did that last lap.

It was hottish work, and the bullets were pretty thick about us, but we all got safely to the _kranz_, and a short scramble took us over the edge.

I laid Blenkiron inside the _castrol_ and started to prepare our defence.
We had little time to do it.