The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-03-26

there, suddenly heard a 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 al
most starting out of their heads, and
felt, with cold thrill of fear, that in an
other three seconds those great "bang-
vans might be buried in my vitals
On such occasions we act, suppose,
more from instinct 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 struck 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 ac-
custonled to standing still when fired
from his back, also he was so surprised
he did not know which way to shy.
The other savage was almost on me: his
outstretched shield touched the muzzle
of my gun as pulled the trigger of the
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,
turned nv 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
had not gone 800 yards in this new di-
rection when, to my utter astonishment,
| struck a trail marked with wagon
wheels and the hoofs of oxen. Of wag-
ons there must have been at least eight,
and several hundred cattle. Moreover,
they had. passed within twelve hours; !
could tell that by the spoor. Then un-
derstood the impi was following the
track Of the wagons, which in all proba-
bility belonged to a party of emigrant
Beers
The spoor of the wagons ran in the di.
rection wished to go, so followed it.
About a mile further on l came to the
crest of rise, and there, about five fur
longs away, saw the wagons drawn up
in rough lager upon the banks of the
river. There, too, were my own wagons
trekking down the slope towards them j
In another five minutes / was there
The Boers-for Beers they were-were
standing about outside the little laager
watching the approach of my two wag-
ons. I called to them, and they turned
and saw me. The very first man my
eyes fell on was Boer named Hans
Botha, whom 1 had known we'll years
ago in the Cape. He was not q bad
specimen of his class, but very restless
person, with great objection to author
ity, or, as he expressed it, "a love of
freedom" He had joined party of the
emigrant Beers some years before, but,
as I learned presently, had quarreled
with it's leader, and was now trekking
away into the wilderness to found lit
tie colony of his own Poor fellow! 1t
was his last trek.
Chow do you do, Meinheer Botha?'
said to him in Dutch.
The man looked at me, looked again,
then, startled out of his Dutch stolidity,
cried to his wife, who was seated on the
box Of the wagon:
"Come here, frau, come. Here is Al
Ian Quatermain, the Englishman, the
con of tho How rrooc II