three o'clock in the
morning
Yet it thrust itself persistently upon me again and again as I approached the smoke-blackened walls of the ruined building and gazed with horrified eyes at the constantly accumulating evidences of the desperate character of the attack and defence . I believed I could pretty accurately picture what had happened . My father had evidently not been taken entirely by surprise , or there would not have been so many dead savages lying around the house : he had probably obtained an inkling of what was toward in time to put the building into some sort of state of defence ; possibly he had found time to barricade the doors and windows , and from the general aspect of things outside I surmised that he had somehow contrived to get half a dozen or more of the Totties into the house to assist in its defence . The attack had probably occurred about two or three o'clock in the morning , when the whites might be expected to be sound asleep , and from the appearance of the slain I believed that it had taken place about thirty-six hours before my arrival on the scene . In any case the attack was unwisely planned , from the native point of view , for it was about the time of full moon , and the South African night , with a full moon riding high in the sky , is almost literally as light as day , and the defenders , being doubtless on the qui vive , would perceive the first stealthy approach of the savages and at once open fire upon them . And I knew enough about my father 's and Nesbitt 's marksmanship to feel assured that every time they pressed a trigger an enemy would fall . But even their deadly skill with the rifle would not account for the many bodies lying round the house , and thus I was brought to the conclusion that some of the Totties , armed with shot guns loaded with loopers , or slugs , must have assisted in the defence .