The natives were driven out of the town, but the high grass was swarming with many thousands, who, in the neighbourhood of the station, still advanced to attack the soldiers.
I now ordered "The Forty" to clear the grass, and a steady fire of snider rifles soon purged the covert upon which the enemy had relied.
In about an hour and a quarter the battle of Masindi was won. Not a house remained of the lately extensive town. A vast open space of smoke and black ashes, with flames flickering in some places where the buildings had been consumed, and at others forked sheets of fire where the fuel was still undestroyed, were the only remains of the capital of Unyoro.
The enemy had fled. Their drums and horns, lately so noisy, were now silent.
I ordered the bugle to sound "cease firing." We marched through the scorching streets to our station, where I found my wife in deep distress.
The bugle sounded the assembly, and the men mustered, and fell in for the roll-call. Four men were missing.
Lying on the turf, close to the fort wall, were four bodies arranged in a row and covered with cloths.
The soldiers gathered round them as I approached. The cloths were raised.
My eyes rested on the pale features of my ever faithful and devoted officer, Monsoor! There was a sad expression of pain on his face. I could not help feeling his pulse; but there was no hope; this was still. I laid his arm gently by his side, and pressed his hand for the last time, for I loved Monsoor as a true friend.
His body was pierced with thirty-two lance wounds; thus he had fought gallantly to the last, and he had died like a good soldier; but he was treacherously murdered instead of dying on a fair battle-field.