Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-02

ne met with an awkward reminder. HIS horse
had stopped dead at the brink of running
stream. and paved uueasily At the water, which
just covered the pure white sand - -
Come up" shouted Rowe. digging The
spurs, and the piucky little horse plunged for
ward. sank up TO tie knees, the next plunge
found him up to his girrhs and at the next ne
rolled over on to MS side with a mighty snort OF
disgust and -. he was caught II qulcEsand
For IN hour Rove worked to get mis- horse
out, cutting bGusies of PUSHES from the banks 70
make 4 footing, and cursing himself all the time
for his carelCSSGssJ. When. a. the END OF Ina
time, re hrouEh: his horse TO the bank, the
lit;!a fellow was weakened from his struggles:
An right my 1oyi mn give yG9u tb rs Sdse a.
wall, passed village Of huts neatly arrangeG
il ceE,i- circular clusters OF four and SIX, WIFI
the cattle :rsal in the center. -
As horse cud rider slowly picked their way
down she other side into 4 shallow Na.ley,
Zuir warrior crcpt out from one of the huts ana
looked after them. Then with rlhe ana asseeSi
in hand lie followed cautiously after. n.
A. she next msiza to- meale) gaFueI to"e
gathered few cobs OF green corn i1c T1ss'oIs,
stopped TO e.! his tin az brook and haLtEu On IA
small kCpio which commanded d we" o; tiI9
country around. Here he off-sadd!eG ahc AnGe-
battered nj. horse, with doubte Eltct o! t tLe
neck rcia above the left knee. This brought the
head down and lifted the LEFT leg up-an ehect-
i've means Of preventing q horse rom stray 'iis'
while giving hini fall liberty 70 Craze =,
The IRE was cracking under the 'canteen'
the green corn was turning nice brown Wheh
curious booming sound nroEe on the sI4 fn
1t though some enormous bee was near-
ing down at express speed, but before IioWe
could determine what sort OF an insect II was,
with VIII IN whr. boom, the thing struck the
Tin plump in the center and scattered the hre-
brands in every direction. -.
Rowe fell over his saddle. and his booted feet
wildly paved the air. then splitting out clnuefs
and dust, and rubbing the ashes out oil MS eyes
he reEained mis- feet. , MI,
What in thunder-wal blame me IheFe
lying in the center of the scattered hre was Pot
leg. an inch or two OF solid iron, broken on
Birmingham three-iegged pot. rms was .He
sort of insect sent on its mission out Vi
gun barrel -.
Things is getting interesting. guess ia
better get into the saddle again ~ But as ne
started after the horse, another pot leg calIe
booming along, and 4 tall Zulu immediately
stepped into view from behind a rock on an az
joining hill 10 witness the effect OF the Shot;
''Ef there S only one of EN-, | guess II igHC
1t out - inuttered Rowe hesitatlng. Seeing TINS
the Zulu threw away his rifle with gesture Oh
disgust. aud came down the NIL tiilieu -, -
with the stabbing assegai, a long biadeu, hhoFI-
HATED spear. Ut.
Blame me eff that isn't cheek; III try his
nerve for him" He drew his revolver ana nred
five successive seos, but at each one me I4i ii
simply lifted his spear. Rowe had, with all ms
experience made the usual mistake OF undsf es5
timating the distance in the brlllanI NShI anu
Seems a pity to drop tim, seein, he's not
armed, but it must be done. Hullo; ae nurr
riedlv felt in his pouch, and then looked very
serious. The pouch was EN- Oty! Every Cartridge
had fallen into the quicksand. 80
The conditions were altered now with ven
geance What was a bowieknife, tine only
weapon left him, compared with the iofliiuioie
Ill was hankerin' for excitement, and
here il is By gosh wish were inside a trip
pie plated biIer-that spears long enough 10
skeyyer = hog. Anyhow here goes for a hglt
He drew a heavy bowie knife from us she1tu'
rrapped his saddle cloth around his lett arm,
ana then watched the approach OF the Zuiu'
The warrior. a man of splendid build was per
fectiy naked save for the Kilt OF nlue ni9 brS
showing, that he belonged to one OF the uhIhar-
ried regiments, and long crane
circiets of black and white hide around the
wrists and ankles, proved him = warrior OF the
famous Nkobomakosi regiment. PRIDE was
manifested in the naughty carriage OF MS mead
strenl tn in the play of his corded muscles under
his satin skin of rich mahogany hue, anG proofs
OF his courage were given IN lnhumerapie olo
scars and IN one recently nealeu SaSH lisit'
across his breast.
These details Rowe noticed the warrior
without amoment' s pause came stridlhg up !he
hill. He threw himself into position 10 receive
an attack expecting that the Zulu would make
a rush-but when twenty yards OF the latter
paused 80. .,.-.
and silently took stock of his opponent. The
fierce black eyes ranged slowly over the whlte
mans form then dYelt fxedly on his face.
slight uuivering of the wide nostrils and the
stiffeniny of the muscles on the naked limbs,
warned Rowe of the coming rush. Then with
sudden fierce growl the warrior sprahg from 1he
ground and bounded forward.
Rowe escaped the lightning thrust by RAPID
snriug and struck with his heavy knife. The
point Just ripped the DlacK SKIN pelo" VIC aim
s:Yob!,' exclaimed the warrior in astonish-
meut as he realized that his blow had failed.
With the light of battle in mis- eyes he again
| lea ut forward like tiger its prey, and the
| long blade flashed IN the sun as it shot forth.
Rowe sprang back. throwing his lett arm
across his breast. The point OF the blade pierced
! the muscles. and was withdrawn stained with
| Mood stSutu,' shouted the warrior, giving
| the tribal war cry, and again he struck. With
| desperate attempt at defense, Rowe struck out
swiftly and Just in tEle to cut through the hiatt
| of the spear above the blade.
In an instant the Zulu'S long fingers closed
ution Rowe's upiilted arm, and the two men
| glared at one another. Rowe waited Tor the
other to begin the struggle, reservlng his
strength but in that moments interval, the
| Zuiu grasped the failed blade between his toes,
| reached II and sprang away before Rowe realized
what was going on
! and grim smile played about his lips.
| Al will give him something to 60 now. ne
muttered viciously, and maneured round the
| motionless Zulu for an opening AT last he saw
| his chance he Tented. then changed position
| rapidly and lounged upwards.
The warrior prepared for the blow, which
snent it's force on the air and before Rowe could
recover a fearful blow fell on his head, cutting
| RIGHT through the thick hat with its band of
| leather, and causing the blood to stream over
Through the red mist he saw the Zulu raise his
arm to stab His head swan. but with mighty
effort he hurled his knife full at the warriors
head then fell to the ground senseless.
CHAPTER Iu.-THE DOGS OF WAR
when Rowe recovered consciousness he was very
much surprised that he WIS alive. In fact with
the first futter of his senses he felt as though
his soul had taken leave of his body, and it was
not until he sat up and looked around that he
fully satisfied himself that he was in the land of
the living. -
There could be no mistake about it, for his
enemy the Zulu, was a few yards OFF, also very
much alive and beginning 10 move
The heavy haft of the bowie had struck the
warrior full between his eyes. A white man 5
skull would have cracked under the force of the
blow but the thick frontal bone OF the native
had withstood the conclusion, and the only
effect was temporary inconsistencies.
The Zulu being in the very perfection of con-
dition hard as Steel and without superiuous
flesh, was the first to recover. He picked up the
bowie and the assegai blade, and with one in
either hand stepped up to Rowe. The latter
held his breath in that supreme moment; 4 curl
Gus sensation manifested itself at spot below
the right ear where he felt the point OF the
knife would enter while his eyes dulled by
pain were fixed on the shining blade. As tiger
gloats over his prey. the Zulu gloated over the
helpless white man, and deferred the death
stroke.
ssStrike.r said Rowe, hoarsely: "strike.
| YOU devil!'' The throbbing on his neck in
creased, until it seemed though all the nerves
! in his body were concentrated at the spot. He
| placed his finger on his neck and bent his head