The Globe-republican., 1890-09-17

Yes. there was no doubt Of 1t. They
were halted about a thousand yards
away, by the water; some were lying
down, some were cooking at fires, others
were stalking about with spears and
shields in their hands; there might
have been two thousand of them in all
While was wondering-and that with
no little uneasiness-what on earth
they could be doing there, suddenly l
heard wild cry to the right and left OF
me. I glanced first one way. then the
other. From either side two great
Zulus were bearing down on me. their
broad, stabbing assegais aloft and
black shields in their left hands
The man to the right was
about fifteen yards away, he to
the left was not more than ten. On they
came, their fierce eyes almost starting
out of their heads, and I felt, with a
cold thrill of fear, that in another three
seconds those great ''bang-wans" might
te buried in my vitals. On such occa-
sions We act, suppose, more from in
stinct than any thing else-there is no
time for thought. At any rate, 1
dropped my reins and, raising my gun,
fired point blank at the left-hand man.
The bullet struck full in the middle of
his shield, pierced it and passed through
him, and over he rolled upon the voldt.
I swung round in the saddle; most hap
PLY my horse was accustomed to stand
ing still when fired from his back, also
he was so surprised he did not know
which way to shy. The other savage
was almost on me; his outstretched
shield touched the muzzle of my gun as
pulled the trigger Of the left barrel.
1t exploded, the warrior sprung high
into the air and fell against my horse
dead, his spear passing just in front Of
my face.
Without waiting to reload, or even to
look If the main body Of the Zulus had
seen the death of their two scouts,
turned my horse and drove my heels
into his sides. AS soon as was down
the slope of the rise pulled little to
the right in order to intercept the wag-
ons before the Zulus saw them. I had
not gone three hundred yards in this
new direction when to my utter aston
ishment l struck a trail marked with
wagon-wheels and the hoofs of oxen.
OF wagons there must have been at least
eight, and several hundred cattle. More
over, they had passed within twelve
hours; could tell that by the spoor.
Then I understood the Impi was follow
ing the track of the wagons, which, in
all probability, belonged to a party OF
emigrant Beers.
The spoor of the wagons ran in the
direction wished to go, SO followed it.
About mile further on came to the
crest of a rise, and there, about five fur
longs away, saw the wagons drawn up
| in a rough lager upon the banks of the
river. There, too, were my own wag-
ons trekking down the slope towards
them.
In another five minutes I was there.
The Boers-for Beers they were-were
standing about outside the little lager
| watching the approach of my two wag-
ons. Icalled to them, and they turned
and saw me. The very first man my
eyes fell on was a Boer named Hans
Botha, whom l had known we'll years
ago in the Cape. He was not a bad spec
linen of his class, but very restless
person, with great objection to author
ity, or, as he expressed it, "a love of
freedom" He had joined party of the
emigrant Beers some years before, but.
as I learned presently, had quarreled
| with its leader, and was now trekking
away into the wilderness to found little
colony of his own. Poor fellow! It was
his last trek.
''How do you do, Meinheer Botha?"
said to him in Dutch.
The man looked at me, looked again,
then startled out of his Dutch stolidity,
cried to his wife, who was seated on the
box of the wagon:
''Come here, Frau, come. Here is Al
Ian Quatermain, the Englishman, the
son of the 'Predicant.' Howgoes it, Heer
Quatermain, and what is the news down
in the Cape yonder?"
Il don't know what the news is in the
Cape, Hans" answered, solemnly; ''but
the news here is that there is Zulu
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