The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1890-09-24

Then the darkness came on, and We
took up our appointed places each with
rife in his hands and peered out into
the gloom in silence. Occasionally one
of the Beers would light his pipe with
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 fraus
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 waited
for the Zulus. But from my intimate
knowledge of the habits of natives had
little fear that they would attack US
at night, though, had they done so, they
could have comprised our destruction
with but small loss to themselves. 1t is
not the habit of this people, they like tn
fight in the light of day-at dawn for
preference.
About eleven o'clock, just as was
nodding q little at my post, l heard
low whistle outside the lager. Instant
ly was wide awake, and all along the
line 1 heard the clicking of locks as the
Beers cooked their guns
"Macumazahn," said voice, the voice
of Indaba-zimbi, ''are you there?'
Eyes," answered.
.'Then hold light so that can see
how to climb into the lager" he said
Yah! yah! hold light" put in one
of the Beers. Il don't trust that black
schepsel of yours, Heer Quatermain; he
may have some of his countrymen with
him" Accordingly lantern was pro-
cured and held toward the voice. There
was Indaba-zimbi alone. We let him
in to the lager and asked him the news.
This is the news, white men," he
said. Il waited till dark, and creeping
up to the place where the Zulus are en-
camped, hid myself behind a stone and
listened. They are a great regiment
of Umtetwas, as Buar Botha yonder
thought. They struck the spoor of the
wagons three days ago and followed it.
Tonight they sleep upon their spears,
tomorrow at daybreak they will attack
the lager and kill every body. They
are very bitter against the Beers, be-
cause 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.
81 tell you what it is, Heeran," said,
'instead of waiting to be butchered
here like buck in pitfall, let US go
out now and fall upon the Impi while it
sleeps"
This proposition excited some discus
sion, but in the end only one man could
be found to vote for it. Beers as a rule lack
the dash which makes great soldiers;
such forlorn hopes are not in their line,
and rather than embark upon them
they prefer to take their chance in a
lager, however poor that chance may
be. For my own part 1 firmly believe
that had my advice been taken we
should have routed the Zulus. Seven
teen desperate white men armed with
guns would have produced no small
effect upon camp Of sleeping savages.
But it was not taken, SO it is no use talk
ing about it.
After that we went back to our posts,
and slowly the weary night wore on to-
wards the dawn. Only those who have
watched under similar circumstances
while they waited the advent of almost
certain and cruel death can know the
torturing suspense of those heavy hours.
But they went somehow, and at last in
the far East the sky began to Zig hten,
while the cold breath Of dawn stirred
the tits of the wagons and chilled me to
the bones. The fat Dutchwoman behind
me woke with a yawn, then, remember
ing all, moaned aloud, while her teeth
chartered with cold and fear. Hans
Botha went to his wagon and got bot
tie of peach brandy, from which he
poured into tin pannikin, giving to
each a stiff draw, and making attempts
to be cheerful as he did so. But his af-
fected POPULARITY only seemed to depress
his comrades the more. Certainly it
oppressed me.
Now the light was growing, and we
could see some way into the mist which
still hung densely over the river, and
now-ah! there it was. From the other
side of the hill. thousand yards or
more from the lager, came faint hum
ming sound. 1t grew and grew till it
gathered to a chant-the awful war
chant of the Zulus. Soon could catch
the words They were simple enough.
"we shall Stay, we shall STAY. Is it not So my
| brotherss
Our spears shall blush blood red Is it not So
| my brothers?
For we are the stockings Of Chala; blood Is
| our milk, my brothers.
| Awake, children Of the Umtetwa, awake.
| The vulture wheels, the jackal sniffs the air:
| Awake, children OF the Cmtetwa-crJ aloud,
ye ringed men;
There is the foe; We shall Stay them Is it
| not so, my brothers:
SgeG S'gse! Sgee.r'
Such is rough translation of that
hateful chant, which often hear to this
very day in my dreams 1t does not
Il