Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-12-25


look after dot young missy, eff may b.
anything happen, say yes. Dot is SO. ,
Blaine rode on with his nina keenl,
alive to any possible dangers which
might beset Miss Rath, and once o
twice Dalston's inopportune reference t
the kopje Alleen tragedy with his com
ments thereon crossed his mind.
Dick dismountsd to tighten girths, bu
when Capt. Blaine had gone out of sigh
he mounted and struck across veldt Il
the right. An hour after he oyertook
his officer.
"Your horse is blown, you must have
ridden hard. What have you been do.
ing?'
"Watch Baas Dalston.''
"Watching Capt. Dalston! Under
stand, my man, will not have you act
as spy
"Yah," said Dick, stoIidly, and
without any idea of the meaning of the
word spy. "Baas Dalston ride straight
to dot schslme (rascaD Dwani, Obam 8
induna- What for, eh?''
"Enough,'' said Blaine. sternIy.
"fall behind. -
Dick took up his position in the rear,
where he ruminated upon the stup idity
of whits men in shutting their eyes to
awkward facts. He put the question to
himself.
| "Whyfore Capen Dalston go to Dwani?
Cose Dwani rascal. And why g. to
rascal? Cause will do rasoally work,
| Dot is 500
| On the third day after leaving camp,
Capt. Blaine and his attendant returned
Almost the first person they saw was
| Capt. Dalston, and Blaine threw a look
| at his servant as much as to say: "Your
| suspicious were baseless.'
Dick that afternoon spent an hour
watching the growth of his shadow.
When it had stretched out to a length
| corresponding TO the length of his leg
below the knee he fixed his eyes on the
far off ridge.
Then he marched off to the mess tent,
where Blaine with some other compan-
ions we're enjoying the afternoon smoke,
and stood patiently waiting until be was
noticed.
Blaine.
"All's weu," remarked Dick SOL
EMMY, saluted aud marched off, leaving
Blaine to bear the chaff of his brother
officers at this singular address.
War has its humors as well as ifs
terrible tragedies. On the next day
there was mingling of the two. The
camp was now pitched on a slope
facing the mountain with which we are
already familiar, in connection with
Blaine's escape. At the approach of
the column Sirayo had of course
slipped away with his 200 followers. and
as was known to Colonel Butler, had
taken up position among the broken
billy country, behind the mountain.
Some half dozen of the huts which had
escaped the torch at the assault by the |
cavalry few days previously, remained |
standing, but deserted.
They offered tempting bait to the |
curiosity and cupidity of a few camp |
natives, one of whom was nicknamed |
Cetewayo sitter the Zulu king, on account
of his plumpness.
When the morning broke, Col. Butler
at the head of three troops of horse,
skirted the mountain and entered into q
narrow and richly cultivated valley.
which opened on its far end, upon the
ridges occupied by Sirayo.
Some time after the departure of the
rough horse, the commander in-cbief.
through his field glass, observed natives
fitting about the huts opposite.
'What,' he thought, .sZulus ac. |
tually prowling about in the open day in
full sight. must teach them lesson ~
Orders were instantly issued. A bat
terry OF field guns limbered up and a reg
iment of 800 were lined in review order.
The general rode down the line, and
with pleasure noted how delighted the
men looked at the prospect of fight.
though somewhat puzzled as to the
whereabouts Of the enemy.
''Where the-are we going to, - said
'ne. Eight the old thief, Cetevayo.
Wouldn't like to get slant at him
with my bayonet, SAID another. nOh.
get along, Cetewayo's at Ulundi. ten
lays march, and we've not a days ra-
ons.''
"well, never mind where we're
going, SO long as there's to be scrim-
nage.'
The general examined the huts. to see
What impression his preparation had |
made on the enemy.
None-absolutely none. The varlets ,
we're lettering about as though there were {
10 British soldiers within a hundred &
niles. :
"Plant a shell among them, sir.
iarch!'r ,
The guns took up position, and in a s
ew seconds the shells shrieked through 6
ne still air like spirits OF destruction.
Inc soldiers, now awaklng to the sur ]
rising fact that the enemy was oply a | a
ale off, though evidently concealed /
rom view, advanced with cheer. Thew q
rossed the donga and doubled I'D to- I
ards the huts. >
The half-dozen camp followers at the '
fountain were rather curious about the T
PREPARATIONS in camp, but when. q she'll l 4
ropped into hut and scattered its frag- Il
rents about them they considered that y
hey were in the way. Accordingly they b
altered behind a large rock, from a
hich they watched the approach of the {
ing red line, with the glittering row of G
ayonsts, with much satisfaction, n
Their mastery retreat, however, was
'earded BY the general as a piece of A
sep strategy, and the order was given ii
take the position at rush. Nothing q
tn, the soldiers, with a wild cheer, r,
ashed forward--and then it dawned on q
le mock Cetewayo, that he and his n
'other friendlies were not mere specta- d.
rs of q glorious promenade 9, but pr,u- I,