The advance men of the police rode into one of the Kaffirs from Inanda's Kraal, whom Laputa had sent forward to see if the way was clear.

In two minutes more he would have been across and out of our power, for we had no chance of overtaking him in the woody ravines of the Letaba.

The Kaffir, when he saw us, dived back into the grass on the north side of the road, which made it clear that Laputa was still there.
After that nothing happened for a little.

The police reached their drift, and all the road west of that point was strongly held.

The flanking commandoes joined hands with one of the police posts farther north, and moved slowly to the scarp of the Berg.