The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-03-26
Zulus, and do not let us be tortured.


afraid, and it must he admitted not with
= out reason
Then the darkness came on. and we
took up our appointed places, each with
rifle in his hands. and peered out into
the gloom in silence. Occasionally one
of the Beers would light his pipe with a
brand from the smoldering fire, and the
glow of it would shine for few mo-
ments on his pale, anxious face.
Behind me one of the stout ''fralls"
lay upon the ground. Even the terror
of our position could not keep her heavy
eyes from their accustomed sleep, and
she snored loudly On the" further side
of her, just by the fire, lay little Tota,
wrapped in kaross. She was asleep
ALSO her thumb in her mouth, and from
time to time her father would come to
look at her.
So the hours wore on while we wait
ed for the Zulus But from my in
innate knowledge of the habits of ma
tives had little fear that they would at
tack us at night, though, had they done
SO, they could have comprised our de-
struction with but small loss to them
selves 1t is not the habit of this people,
they like to fight in the light of day-at
dawn for preference.
About | / o'clock, just as I was nodding
little at my post. heard low whistle
outside the Iaager. Instantly was wide
awake, and all along the line heard the
clicking of locks as the Beers cooked
their guns.
"Macumazahn, said a voice, the voice
Of 1ndaba zimbi, ''are you there?"
Yes, answered.
Then hold light SO that can see
how to climb into the laager," he said.
''Yah! yah! hold light" put in
one Of the Beers Il don't trust that
black schepsel of yours. Heer Quater-
main; he may have some of his country
men with HIM" Accordingly lantern
was produced and held towards the
voice. There was Indaba-zimbi alone.
We let him into the lager and asked
him the news
This is the news, white men," he
said 81 waited till dark, and creeping
up to the place where the Zulus are en-
camped. hid myself behind Il stone and
listened They are great regiment of
Umtetwas, as Burr Botha yonder
thought. They struck the spoor of the
wagons three days ago and followed it.
Tonight they sleep upon their spears
tomorrow at day break they will attack
the laager and kill everybody. They
are very bitter against the Beers. because
Of the battle at Blood river and the other
fights, and that is why they followed the
wagons instead of going straight north
after Mosilikaayye.
A kind of groan went up from the
group of listening Dutchmen
Il tell you what it is. heeren," said,
instead of waiting to be butchered here
like a buck in pitfall, let us go out now
and fall upon the impi willie it sleeps"
This proposition excited some discus
sion. but in the end only one man could
be found to vote for it. Beers, as rule,
lack that dash which makes great SOL
diers; such forlorn hopes are not in their
line, and rather than embark upon them
they prefer to take their chance in
lager, however poor that chance may
4 be- For my own part, / firmly believe
that, had my advice been taken, we
U should have routed the Zulus. Seven
teen desperate white men, armed with
guns, would have produced no small eff
q feet upon a camp of sleeping savages
But it was not taken, so it is no use talk