152 WITH THE CAMEL CORPS UP THE NILE.

to command the ground beyond it. Volunteers, officers and men, ran out with boxes across the bulletswept ground, and the fortlet soon rose to a respectable height. Several of the builders were knocked over here, and I personally had a very near squeak of it. I happened to be just at this time with my company on the ridge, covering the building of that work, and was directing the shooting to the best of my abilities. Every one of my men was extended flat on his stomach, potting anything in the shape of niggers or smoke ; so as the enemy's bullets were whistling close over our heads, I prudently assumed the same position at first, but found I couldn't bring my field-glasses to bear comfortably.

Accordingly I sat up, and was prospecting round satisfactorily, when suddenly I received a violent blow in the pit of the stomach. I staggered up, and immediately fell down flat my wind was entirely gone, so I lay and gasped. A couple of my men immediately rushed up, caught hold of me, and, at a sepulchral "Take him away/' from C , bore me off between them at a fast " double " for the hospital. My first idea was that I was badly hit, but some-