Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-04-04

populated Not very long before MosiIf-
katZi the Lion. Chaka's General, had
swept across it in his progress towards
wslat Is now Matabeleland. His footsteps
were evident enough. Time upon time l
trekked up to what had evidently been
the sites of the Kaffir kraals Now the
kraals were ashes and piles of tumbled
stones, and strewn about among the rank
grass were the bones of hundreds of men,
women and children, all of whom had
kissed the Zulu assegai.
l remember that IN one of these desolate
places l found the skull of child in which
a ground lark had built its nest. 1t was
the twitterng or the young BIRDS INSIDE
that first called my attention to it, Short
ly after this event we met with our second
great adventure, much more serious and
tragic one than the first
We were trekking parallel with the Ko-
long river when herd of bIesbock crossed
the track. l fired at one of them and hit
it behind. 1t galloped about a thousand
yards with the rest of the herd, len Law
down. As we were in want of eat, net
having met with any game for a few DAYS
past, jumped on to my remaining horse,
and, telling Indaba-Zimbi that | would
overtake the wagons or meet them on
the further side of a rise about an hours
trek away, l started after the wounded
buck
As soon as | came within a hundred
yards of it, however, it jumped up and
ran away as fast as though it were IN.
touched, only to lie down again at a dis.
lance. | followed, thinking that strength
would soon fail it. This happened three
times. On the third occasion it vanished
behind a ridge, and though by now l was
out of both temper and patience l thought
| might as well ride to the ridge and
see if | could get a shot at it on the further
side.
reached the ridge. which was strewn
with stones, looked over it, and saw-s
Zulu lmpi!
rubbed my eyes and looked again.
Yes, there was no doubt of it. They
were halted about a thousand yards away,
by the water; some were lying down, some
were cooking a. fires, others were stalk
ing about with spears and shields in their
hands: there might have been two thou
sand of them in all.
While was woudering-and that with
no little uueasIness-what on earth they
could be doing there, suddenly | heard
wild cry to the right and left of me. ]
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 | felt,
with cold thrill of fear, that in another
three seconds those great bang vans"
might be buried in my Vitals. On such
occasions we act, | suppose, more from in
stinct than anything else-there is no
time for thought. At any rate, dropped
my reins. and, raising my gun, fired point
| blank at the left-hand man. The bullet
s ruck full in the middle of his shield
pierced it and passed through him, and
over he rolled upon the veldt. | swung
round in the saddle; most happily my
horse was accuss omed to standing still
when I fired from his back, also he was
50 surprised he did not know which way
to shy.
The other savage was almost or me: his
outstretched shield touched the muzzle of
| my gun as pulled the trigger of my 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, | turn
ell 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 wagons before the
Zulus saw them. l had not gone three
hundred yards in this new direction, when
In NV Irtta aCtn icb, I
marked with wagon-wheels and the hOofs
| of oxen.
OF wagons there must have been at least
| eight, aud several hundred cattle. More
over, they had passed within twelve
| hours; | could tell that by the spoor.
| Then understood the Impi was follow
ing the track of the wagons, which, in all
| probability, belonged to a party of emf
grant Beers.
The spoor of the wagons ran in the di-
rection ] wished to get 50 ] followed it.
About mile further on | came to the
crest of a rise and there, about five fur
longs away, ! saw the wagons lrawD up
IN a rough lager upon the banks of the
river There too, were my own wagons
trekking down the slope towards them.
In another five minutes | was there.
The Boers-for Beers they were-were
standing about outside the little lager
watching the approach of my two wagons.
| called to them, and they turned and
saw me. The very first man my ewes fell
on was BOer named Hans Botha, whom
| had known well years ago in the Cape.
He was not bad specimen of his class,
but very restless person, with a great
objection to authority, or, as he expressed
it, "a love of freedom
He had joined party of the emigrant
Beers some years before, but, as | learned
presently, nad quarreled with Its leader,
and was now trekking away into the
wilderness to found little colony of his
own. Poor feIlow 1t was his last trek.
How do you do, Meiuheer BOtha?" l
said to him in Dutch.
The man looked at me, looked again.
then. startledlout of his Dutch stolidity,
cried to his wife, who was seated on the
box of the wagon:
Come here, Frau, come. Here is Allan
Quatermaiu, the Englishman, the son of
the 'Predicaut' How goes it, Heer Qua
termain. and what is the news down in
the Cape yonder?"
Il don't know what the news is in the
Cape, Hans l answered, solemulT; but
the news here is that there is Zulu Impi
upon your spoor and within two miles of
the wagon. That l know for have just
shot two of their sentries,' and | showed
him my empty gun.
To be contlnued.)