However, they were not allowed to stay long, as the Kaffirs said that the geese would begin their afternoon flight within about half an hour.

So the spectators were all requested to arrange themselves under the sheer cliff of the kloof, where they could not be seen by the birds coming over them from behind, and there to keep silence.

Then Pereira and I--I attended by my loader, but he alone, as he said a man at his elbow would bother him--and with us Retief, the referee, took our stations about a hundred and fifty yards from this face of cliff.

Here we screened ourselves as well as we could from the keen sight of the birds behind some tall bushes which grew at this spot.
I seated myself on a camp-stool, which I had brought with me, for my leg was still too weak to allow me to stand long, and waited.

Presently Pereira said through Retief that he had a favour to ask, namely, that I would allow him to take the first six shots, as the strain of waiting made him nervous.