Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1888-11-01

peared, fortified all round with schanses, or
stone walls, and contained numerous caves
and kcppies in the hill side and at the foot Of
the mountain which no force had ever been
able to capture 1t was said that in the time
OF the Zulu monarch, Dingaan, great impi
of that kings, having penetrated to this dis
trict, had delivered an assault upon the kraal,
then owned by a forefather of Wambe's, and
been beaten back with the loss of more than
thousand men. Having thought the ques-
ton over, closely Intercepted Maiwa as TO
the Notifications and the typographical pc
culiarities of the spot, and not without re-
suits. | discovered that the kraal was indeed
impregnable TOT front attack, but that it was
very slightly defended to the rear, which ran
up the slope of the mountain; indeed, only
by two lines Of stone walls The reason OF
this was that the mountain is quite impass-
able, except by one secret path, supposed to
be known only to the chief and his councillors,
and this being so, it had not been considered
necessary to fortify it.
"'Well,' l said, when she had done, and
now as to this secret path of thine, knowest
thou aught Of itP
SAY she answered; i am no fool, Macu-
mazahn. knowledge learned is power earned.
| won the secret OF that path
"'And canst thou glide an impi thereon, so
that it shall fall upon the town from be-
hindu
"'Yes; this can l do, If only wamhe's
people know not that the impi comes, for II
they know then can they block the way
$50, then, here is my plan. listen, Nala
and say if it be good, or if you have q better
show it forth. Let messengers go out and
oil Nv mi baf ha f.nfh rsaI
here on the third day from now. This being
done, let the impi, led by Maiwa, march on
the morrow of the fourth day, and, crossing
the mountains, let it travel along ON the other
side Of the mountains till it come to the place
on the farther side of which is the kraal Of
Wanlbe: that shall be some three days jour
ney in all about 100 miles,. Then, on the
night of the third days journey, let Maiwa
lead the impi in silence up the secret path,
so that il comes to the crest of the mountain
that is above the Strong Place, and here let
it hide among the rocks. Meanwhile, on the
sixth day from now, let one of the Indunas
of Nala bring with him 200 men that have
guns and take me and my men as prison
ers, and take also a girl from among the
Butiana people who by form and face is like
unto Maiwa, and bind her hands, and pass
by the road on which we came, and through
the cutting in the Cliff on to the kraal Of
Wambe. But the men shall take no shields
or plumes with them. only their guns and
one short spear, and when they meet the
people of Wasibe, they shall say that they
come to give up the woman and the white
man and his party TO Wambe, and to make
atonement to Wambe S, shall they pass in
peace, and travelling thus, on the evening of
the seventh day we shall come to the gates Of
the place Of Wambe, and nigh the gates there
is, so says Maiwa, koppie very strong and
full of rocks and caves, but having no sol
diers thereon except in time of war, or at the
worst, but few such as can easily be over
powered
This being done at the dawn of day,
must the impi on the mountain behind the
town light fire and put wet grass thereon,
SO that the smoke goes up. Then at the sight
of the smoke will we in the koppie begin to
shoot into the town Of Wambe, whereon all
the soldiers will run TO kin us. But we viii
hold our own, and while we fight the impi
shall charge down the mountain side and
climb the schanses and put those who defend
them to the assegai, and then, falling upon
the town, shall surprise it and drive the sol
diers of Wambe as the wind blows the dead
huslls of corn. This is my plan. have
spoken
"'ou, said Nala, it is good; it is very
good. The white man is cleverer than a
jackal Yes, 50 shall it be, and may the
Snake Of the Butiana people stand up upon
its tail and prosper the war, for so shall we
be rid Of Wambe and the tyrannies Of
Wambe
After that the girl Maiwa stood up and,
once more producing the dreadful little dried |
hand made her father and several of his |
head councillors swear by it and upon it that |
they would carry out the war of vengeance |
to the bitter end. 1t was very curious
sight to see, and the fight that ensued was,
by the way, thereafter known among the /
tribes of that district as tle War Of the Little |
Hand.
1.-THE next two DAYS were busy ones for u.s.
Messengers were sent ont and every available /
man of the Butiana tribe was ordered up to /
"A great dance The country was small. and |
by the evening of the second day some $50 |
men were assembled, with their assegais and 4
shields, and a fine, hardy troop they were
"At dawn Of the following day, the fourth !
from the departure Of the heralds, the main
imni started, under the command OF Nala
himself, who, knowing that his life and
hung upon the issue of the
struggle, wisely determined to be present to
direct it. With them went Maiwa, who was
to guide them up the secret path. OF course
he had to give them two days start, as they
had more than a hundred miles of rough
country to pass, including the crossing of the
great mountain range which ran north end
south, for it was necessary that the impi
should make wide detour in order to escape
detection. At length, however, at dawn
On the sixth day, took the road, accom-
panied by my most unwilling bearers,
who ID not at all like the idea of thus
putting their heads into the lions
mouth. Indeed, it was only the fear Of
Nala's spears, together with a vague conf
ience in myself, that induced them to accept
he adventure. With me also were about two
hundred Butianas, all armed with guns OF
7arious kinds, for many of these people had
suns, though they were not very proficient
n the use Of them. But they carried no
hield, and wore no head dress or arnalets;
indeed, every warlike appearance was care
ully avoided. With our party went also a
lister of Maiwas, though by a different
mother, who strongly resembled her in face