I have the honour to report that there is a native rising. This p.m. I met a large crowd of them who behaved in such a queer way that I thought it best to go back to camp, seeing that I had only two police boys with me and they having no rifles and me only a few rounds.
On the way back to camp I fell in with the trader Jones with a mob of cattle, whose partner Wilkie has been killed by the natives and he anxious to come into laager.
I am putting the camp in a state of defence with the help of the said Jones and await orders.
Your obedient servant,
Joseph Wilson,
Sergeant in Charge.
So there was something in it after all. Wrenshaw went into his tent and wrote a reply to the Sergeant of Police:
To Sergeant Joseph Wilson,
I have read your letter to the Commandant and will deal with it. Do not worry overmuch about the rising, I will attend to that too. Remain in camp or you might miss me, I am coming your way.
Richard Wrenshaw.
After a short consultation with his juniors Wrenshaw issued his orders.