This was the Lushai mode of warning us what would be our fate if we ventured further.

We, however, proceeded on our way, bivouacked for the night, and early the next morning started off in the direction of some villages which we understood lay in the road to our destination.
For the first thousand feet the ascent was very steep, and the path so narrow that we could only march in single file.

Suddenly we entered upon a piece of ground cleared for cultivation, and as we emerged from the forest we were received by a volley from a position about sixty yards off.

A young police orderly, who was acting as our guide, was knocked over by my side, and a second volley wounded one of the sepoys, on which we charged and the enemy retired up the hill.

We came across a large number of these _jooms_ (clearings), and at each there was a like effort to oppose us, always with the same result.