Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1888-11-08

did do was to muster all the men and reck
on up our losses. They amounted to fifty
one killed and wounded, sixteen men havin;
been killed outright Then | cent men witt
the cooking pots to the stream for water, ans
we drank. This done, | set my bearers, a
being the most useless part Of the community
from a fighting point Of view, to the task o.
attending the injured, and turned to watcl
the fray.
"By this time Nala's impi had climbed the
first line of Notifications without opposition
and We're advancing in long line upon the
schanses or pits which were scattered about
between 1t and the second line, singing a wal
chant as they came. Presently puffs OF
smoke began to start from the schanses, and
with my glasses l could see several Of our
men falling over Then, as they came oppo-
/ site n schanse, that portion of the long line OF
warriors would thieken up and charge it
with wild rush. / could clearly see them
leap on to the walls and vanish into the
| depths beneath some of their number falling
backward on each occasion, shot or stabbed
TO death. Next would come another act in
the tragedy Out from the hither side Of the
schanse would pour such of its defenders as
were left alive, perhaps three or four, and
perhaps dozen, running for dear life, with
the war dogs on their tracks. One by one
they would be caught, then up flashed the
great spear, and down fell the pursued, dead.
| saw ten of our men leap into one large
sehanse, but though watched for some time,
nobody came out. Afterwards we inspected
the place, and found these all dead, together
with twenty-tIree Matukus. Neither side
would give III, and they had fought it out to
the bitter end.
"At last they neared the second line Of for
.iArations, behind which the whole remain
Ing Mat iku force, numbering some 1900
men, was rapidly assembling. One little
pause u get their breath, and they came at
it with a rush and long wild shout Of Blu
lals IGiukup xiii the Matukusg that went
right through me. Then came an answering
sboIt and the sounds of heavy firing, aud
)E.5eit!y saw our men retreating, some
vat lever In numbers than they had nd
.~ncc! Their welc,me had been a warm
one, for the Matuzu fight splendidly behind
walls
This decided me that it was necessary 10
create diversion. If we did not do So it
seemed very probable that we should lie
worsted after all called TO the captain Of
our little force and rapidly put the position
before him. Seeing the urgency Of The oc-
casion he agreed with me that we must risk
it, and in two minutes more we were With
the exception Of my own men, whom / left
to guard the wounded. trotting across the
open space and through the deserted town
toward the spot where The struggle was tax
ing place, some 200 yards away IN seven OF
eight minutes we reached a group Of huts
it was headman's kraal that was situated
about TO yards behind the fortified wall, aud
took possession Of it unobserved The enemy
was too much engaged with the foe in front /
of them to notice US, and, besides, the broken 1
ground rose IN beg hack shape between. |
There we waited minute or two and recov- I
cred our breath, while gave my directions
So soon os we heard the Butiani unpi begin /
to charge again we were to run in line to the 4
brow Of the hogbacb and pour our fire into
the mass Of defenders behind the wall Then
the guns were to be thrown down, and we
must charge with the assegai We had no
shields, hut that could not be helped: there
would be no time TO reload the guns, and it
was absolutely necessary that the enemy
should be disconnected at the moment that
he main attack was delivered.
1.-THE men, who were as pluciCy set Of fell
lows as ever / saw, and whose blood was now
up, consented to this scheme,
.hough | could see that they thought il
'ather large order, as indeed did myself
But knew that if the imp was driven back
second time the game would be up and for
ne, at any rate, it would be case OF the
Thing that bites and this sure and certain
filled my breast with valor.
"We had not long to wait. Presently we
leard the Butiana war song swelling loud
md long. They had commenced their at
ack. | made sign, and the $50 men,
headed by myself, poured out Of the kraal,
md, getting into a rough line. ran up the
fifty or sixty yards Of slope that interviewed
'etween ourselves and the crest Of the hog
'acked ridge. In thirty seconds we wore
here, and Immediately beyond us was the
main body of the Matuku host waiting the
Of the enemy with guns and spears.
Even now they did not see US, so intent were
hey upon the coming attack. signed to
ny men TO take careful aim, and suddenly
allied out TO them to fire, which they did
With will, dropping thirty or forty Ma
ukus
Charger shouted again. throwing down
ny smoking rifle and drawing my revolver,
a. N-N'eAiilfA' NhANh NhIN ANlihNttls AluNNulnH
p their spears from the ground where they
ad placed them while they fired The men
Il up savage whoop, and we started.
aw the MatulSu soldiers wheel round in hun
reds, utterly taken aback at this new devel-
pment of the situation And looking over
lem, before we had gone twenty yards. |
NV something else For of a sudden, as
lough they had risen from the earth, there
ppeared above the wall hundreds of great
pears followed by hundreds Of savage
aces Swallowed with dropping plumes. With
yell they sprang upon the wall shaking
leir broad shields, and with a yell they
ounded from it straight into our astonished
les
Crash! we were in them now, and fighting !
he demons. crash from the other side.
alas impi was at its work. and still the
bears and plumes appeared for moment
sainst the brown background of the noun
IN, and then sprang down and rushed Ikea l
orm upon the foe. The great mob of men
lrned this way and turned that way. aston
he'd, bewildered, overborne by doubt and
rror. Meanwhile the slaye1s STAYED not 4;
leir hands, and on every side spears flashed,
nd the ffer.fa clso 81