Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-08-14
There was mo- use in delaYing.

! anda dark form sprang out of the path jus
in time TO escape my horses hoofs
Another came flying after my retreatinl
form, but in a moment more | was beyon'
their reach, dashing up the ravine at
pace which defed pursuit.
Just as l supposed, the rascals hat
. been lurking there in the darkness, an'
: had the gloom not been SO intense
, would never have left the place alive.
The ravine narrowed to dark, rock,
gorge that finally let me out on the opeI
country, and then / rode on in earnest
for if it was possible ling thu
beleaguered men must be saved. Mil,
after mile galloped over hill and plain
through Jungle and meadow land, all tn
while keeping sharp lookout for the
expected camp fires. Little did dream
of the long distance that separated Sii
Evelyn Wood from the camp at Isandula.
was needless of time in my excite
ment, and it was tremendous shock
when the first halo of dawn lighted up
the east. Morning already Where was
Sir Evelyn, and what was taking place
at Isandulal
drew rein on a small ridge overlook
ing the furrowed plain. For in the dis
lance shone a dim glimmer of water, and
on the right lay one of those irregular
rock formations that are met with only
in Zululand-a great heap Of stones
towering up from the plain.
The situation was full of perplexity.
could not make up my mind whether to
go on in the hope of finding Sir Evelyn,
or to turn back and take the chances with
my friends. MY horse, meanwhile, had
gone slowly down the slope. and sudden
| ly, to my surprise, found that | was
riding through an abandoned camp
ground. Here were the ashes of the
fires, the spaces where the tents had
stood. the marks Of the ammunition
wagons, and various camp refuse scattered
about.
That it was the camp Of Sir Evelyn
had no doubt. But the ashes were cold
and dead, and the traces of the march
showed that he had retreated toward the
Umvolosi probably on the previous morn
ing.
To follow him was useless, and came
to the hasty conclusion to ride back TO
lsandula as rapidly as possible.
But destiny had other views for me
CHANGING up from the ground my eyes
encountered off to the left sight that
actually left me incapable Of motion for
brief period.
A horde of dusky Zulu warriors was
swarming over the crest of sloping
ridge, fifty yards distant, aud in the dim
light could see their OK hide shields and
assegais, and the swarthy CLEAN of their
brawny arms and breasts.
The discovery was mutual With
single shout they came bounding down the
slope and were perilously near before
realized my danger. / was of like
streak, heading straight for lsandula,
when half dozen more Of the tiends
burst out of the bush in front of me, and /
lodged down on my horses neck just /
in time to escape two or three assegais /
that went hurting past
drew my revolver and shot the fore
most man and then made dash through
them. One big black fellow went down {
under my horse and rode over him. l +
heard his cry of pain and then my horse +
suddenly gave a mad plunge and l shot /
headforemost to the ground.
An assegai had pierced the poor ami I
NAL in the flank and off he went at gal (
lop, leaving me decidedly in the lurch.
was on my feet instantly, and before 1
the astonished Zulus realized it, / was
bounding with great strides straight
across the bush toward the towering mass
of rocks. They swept on behind in full
cry, and the larger force that had seen
first made break to cut me of from the
rocks.
am at all times good runner, but on
this particular occasion | beat all previ-
Gus records. left the feet footed Zulus
behind, lodging from side to side to
avoid the flying assegais, and dashed up
to the rocks some yards ahead of the
other party, who were sweeping along at
the top Of their speed. / turned side
WAYS as | ran and took snap shot at the
leader, who was waving two assegais in
a most vicious manner, and then in fran
tic haste scrambled up the face of the
cliff.
1t was split and scanned with crevices
and Jagged with loose boulders, but no
hiding place appeared till came near
The top. Then | saw crevice down
imong the rocks just big enough for a
nan to get in, and in l went in a tricel
The top OF the cliff projected out over
NY head, and | had big, jagged rock
IN front of me. / drew down into the
,revice like tortoise into his shell, and
waited in deep suspense.
If had entertained any hope of re- I
naming undiscovered was soon unde- /
,eived. heard the scoundrels chattering {
away down at the foot OF the rocks. and
presently two or three assegais shivered '
heir points against the stone within a
DOT of my head. paid little attention I
o them at first, but tried to compress
myself into a still smaller space lay |
luiet a moment or two, and then it sud- {
lenly flashed into my MUD that those
Issegais must have been hurled from a
Joint part way up the cliff instead of I
rom the ground below, as | had at first.
This supposition was imme-
lately confirmed, for, as / peeped up S
Iver the ledge very cautiously, | discov- {