"Now if you look over there, you will see before you exactly what you
want."
And as I looked over I found below me one of the new forts. It was
exactly what I wanted to see spread before my eyes like a map. I
simply had to take a bird's-eye view of it to get its complete plan.
Beyond it on another ridge lay another fort, and almost behind me I
could see part of the third, while beyond and above were still more
forts up on the heights. I had got into a regular nest of them.
My position on the ridge gave me a splendid view of mountains, and
referring to them I said:--
"Yes, indeed, you have brought me to exactly the right spot."
But he grinned again maliciously, pointing down to the fort, and
said:--
"Yes, but that is the best view of all, I think."
He seemed to grasp my intentions most fully. Far below the forts
lay the straits which they were designed to protect for the vessels
steaming through them. I started at once to make a sketch of the
panorama, carefully omitting that ground where the forts lay, partly
in order to disarm my friend's suspicions, and partly to protect me in
the event of my arrest.
Presently my companion volunteered to go down to the fort and bring
up his brother, who, he said, was a gunner stationed there, and could
give me every detail that I could wish about their guns, etc.
This sounded almost too good to be true, but with the greatest
indifference I said I should be glad to see him, and off went my
friend. The moment that he was out of sight I took care to move off
into a neighbouring kopje where I could hide myself in case of his
bringing up a force of men to capture me.
From here I was able to make a pretty accurate sketch of the fort and
its gun emplacements on the inside of the lining of my hat, and when I
had replaced this I went on as hurriedly as possible with my sketch to
show that I had been fully occupied during the guide's absence.
Presently I saw him returning, but as he was only accompanied by one
other man, I crept down again to my original position and received
them smiling.
The gunner was most communicative, and told me all about his guns and
their sizes and what were their powers as regards range and accuracy.
He told me that once a year an old vessel that was about to be broken
up was towed along behind a steamer down the straits to afford a
target to the defence forts as she passed on. He said regretfully:--
"We are number three fort, and so far, no vessel has ever successfully
passed one and two--they always get sunk before they reach us"--and he
gave me the exact range and the number of rounds fired, which showed
that their shooting was pretty good.
Many other details I found out as to the number of the men, their
feeding and hospital arrangements; and a few days later I was able
to take myself home with a good stock of valuable information and
the good wishes and hopes of my various friends that I some day would
return to shoot the partridges. But I am certain that one man was not
taken in by my professions, either as an artist or as a sportsman, and
that was the muleteer.