Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-11-27
CHAPTER XVIII. -sIRAYo ACCOUNTS FOR
ONE.

clutches of the Zulus, owing 10 the h-
Ing devil in them, the Prince Imperial
with Lieutenant Carey and some score
Of Irregular horse, had gone out on
flying reconnaissance.
The Prince YVES burning TO prove Ms
mr,tle. The amusements of the camp,
such as they were, had no attraction lot
him. He was not couten; to IDLE away
tis time in genial pnnionsh!p until
the slow march Of the column brought on
p COLLISION with the enemy, ne would 20
but of hls way ana GEEK adventure.
WIKI his ardour, and the magnetism
he WINS even now exercising over his
comrades, he would have proved another
Ruuert AS u leader of cavalry. But his
very ragrruess bred In him Il species OF
reckless daring which uusuitei him for
any scouting duty against cunning aud
relentless foe. Hal ms adventurous
nature been understood, he would not
have been sent on. on mission requir-
iug caution above everything.
He struck away for some twelve miles
into the rolling grass lands without see
lug solitary Zulu, Ueyond two helpless
and homeless Old women, whom the
Xulus, with the ind ference OF savaGes
To old age. had aban Toned to their foes.
and whom those foes, with the wanion
cruelty OF war, had deprived of shelter.
The two old prople, with hleared eyes
hnd feeble limhs, crouched under the
cover OF IA bush beside smo!der!ng hemp
of ashes, where their home had stood.
There, exposed to the biting winds of the
early morning aud the dews of the night,
without food they had fingered on for
some huVs
These were the only enemy the prince
encountered and they blessed him for the
pity in his large grey eyes, and for the
food he gave them from his wallet. THIS
was 40 heroic action, bat the mumJied
gratitude of the forlorn creatures was
someth!ng 10 be more valued then, had
he bat known II, than the smiles OF
beauty.
About the time when Blaine had seen
the troop the men were hungry aud the
time had come to make the inevitable
coffee. The prince turned aside and
rode up to Il kraal, snug!v built IN the
cleft of "A sharp stony ridge. A small
stream ran through the cleft and glided
into the sandy bed of the little ltyosi
river. circular cattle kTaal of stone,
with semi circle of huts, spanned the
mouth of the ravine, and at the back.
blocking up the little gorge, was
thick hIgh growth OF maize ana inphee.
The fea;hered tufts OF the sweet cane
aud maize stood well above the head OF
tail man, and the patch could have
given shelter TO hundred.
Between the stone ring Of the kraal
and the huts was an open space, and
here The men dismountFd. Not II vlGette
was posted on the ridge above, not
mun was sent into the patch of maize,
not single precaution Was taken.
Contempt for the Toe, and Il careless
disregard for the ordinary watChfulness
OF scouting party, distinguished the
little group. They started fires, boiled
the water in their cauterns, sipped the
hot coffee, smoked, chutted and luU2hed
with thu cOutngiou OF good fellowship,
and in the genial abandon of lusty youth.
They did all they should not have
doue, and bitter were the cons quences.
Nhile they laughed thu enemy, grim
and earnest, stole upon them.
While they Kept no outlook, the quick
sirht # The ever watchful Sirayo mad de-
irctei them. While the young lender,
confident in his unqunnchHbla spirit,
laughed NJ tie idea Of surprise; another
leader % men had seen the opportunity
afforded by the other = careiessncss, and
vas prompt to take advantage of it.
Siruyo had watched the body of noun
ted meu halt at the mouth OF the r@vine,
and making 81 detour TO escape obScrv8-
ton, ne galloped down TO within half-a-
mite of the spot, and leaving his horse
in u don2a. ran swiftly down to where
the patch OF mlize showed green on the
side OF the rnvine.
Stepping INTO the stream he went up
cautiously yurd bv yard, moving his
feet without lifting Ihem out of the
water, so tina, there should be no splash
ing, nntn he was At the very edge of the
plantation One of the troopers,
Frenchmau, trolIpd out snatch OF q
song, aud under cover of the noise.
s'irayo stepued out aud advanced up the
arrow pathway.
Between the thick green stalks of the
maze. his eyes cleaned upon the happy
careless group. aud his lips were drawn
back over his strong white teeth i'll Il
smart thGt bolei mischief. As he
watched, native scrvan: with the
troop, looked around uneasilr, not
liking the position, and Sirayo drew
back into the corn.
He had just done so when the servant
stood up Ani went down 10 the stream,
over the very pain the chief had ira
versed. His quick eye detected the
footprints md with a look OF grave Gux-
iety he hurried back 20 warn the prince
that Zulus were about.
The warning was diSreGarded. The
finger of fate was working, lu!lug the
mini OF the gallant young soldier into II
fatal sense of security. The black man
however suitll+d danger in the air. as the
wild buck scents the storm afar off, and
he slipped away never more II be seen.
Sirayo glihad back through the maize,
and waved his hand TO his men. They
rushed down like greyhounds. Bach
was appointed his place, nui the small
band slid into The green corn like
shadows, noiselessly rs serpeu.s, and us
deadly. The feAihered plumes of the
imrhee waved above them violently. 4
Watchlul eye might have noticed that
they were not shaken by the wind.
silently they Griggled along, their ears
alert, their muscles strained like whip
cord. their it!s twitchng with the eager
ness OF hounds. and their eyes fixed be-
lore them. In their left hands were the
stnbhing assegris, III the right the Mar
tina fies taken AT lSuudlnna.
At ast they have reached The very edge
of the Inuizr, and some of them are so near
81 ,t,,.