The Dickinson press., 1890-03-29

of her. just by the fire, lay little Tota
wrapped in a kaross. She was asleet
also, her thumb in her mouth, and from
time to time her father would come tc
look at her.
So the hours wore on while we wait
ed for the Zulus. But from nv in.
innate knowledge of tho habits of ma.
tives had little fear that they would at.
tack us at night, though, had they done
SO, they could have compassed 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 II o'clock, just as l was nodding
little at my post, heard low whistle
outside the lager. 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 Indaba-zimbi, "are you there2"
"Yes," answered.
"Then hold light SO that can see
how to climb into the laager," he said.
"Yah! yahl hold a light" put in
one of the Roers. II don't trust that
black schepsel of yours, Hcer 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 tho news, white men," lie
said. II waited till dark, and creeping
up to the place where the Zulus are en-
camped, hid myself behind q 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 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 ne
wagons instead of going straight north
after MosililSaayye."
"A VI SLOitu WcllU up lIOIu tllc
group of listening Dutchmen.
81 tell you what it is, heeren," said,
instead of waiting to be butchered here
like buck in a 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 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 a
laager, however poor that chance may
be. For my own part, I 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 ef-
feet upon a 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 tighten,
while the cold breath Of dawn stirred the
tilts of the wagons and chilled mo to the
bones. The fat Dutch woman behind
me woke with yawn, then, remember
ing all, moaned aloud, while her teeth
chartered with cold and fear. Hans
Botha went to his wagon and got q bot.
tie Of peach brandy, from which he
poured into tin pannikin, giving us
each a stiff draw, and making attempts
to be cheerful as he did so. But his af-
fected jocularity only seemed to depress
his comrades the moro. Certainly 1t op
pressed 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, a thousand yards or more
from the lager, came faint humminf
sound. Itgrew and grew till it gathered
to chant-the awful war chant of the
Zulus. Soon I could catch the words
They were simple enough:
We shall slay: we shall slay. Is # not SO. my
Our spears shall blush blood red Is it not 50, my
brothers1
For we are tho sucklings Of Chaka, blood Is our
milk, my brothers.
Awake, children Of the Umtetwa, awake
The vulture wheels, tho jackal shifts the air;
Awake, children Of tho Umtetwa-cry aloud yc
ringed men;
There Is the foe, shall slay them Is It not so,
my brothers!
S'gee S'geel S'geel
Such is rough translation of that
hateful chant which often hear to this
very day in my dreams. It does not
look particularly imposing on paper, but
if the reader could have heard it as it
rolled through the still air from the
throats Of nearly three thousand warriors
singing all to time, he would have found
it impressive enough.
Now the shields began to appear over
the brow of the rise. They came by
companies, each company about a hun
dred strong. Altogether there were
thirty-one companies. Icounted them.
When all were over they formed them
selves into triple line, then trotted
down the slope toward us. At a dis
tance of hundred and fifty yards, or
just out of shot of such guns as we had
in those days, they halted and began
singing again:
Yonder is the kraal Of the white mana little
kraal my brothers;
We shall cat it up. we shall trample it fiat, my
brothers,
But where are tho white mans cattle-where are
his oxen, my brothersi
This question seemed to puzzle them a
good deal, for they sang the song again
and again. at last herald came for
ward, a great man with ivory rings on
his arm, and putting his hands to his
mouth, called out to us asking where our
cattle were.
Hans Botha climbed on to the top of q
wagon and roared out that they might
answer that question themselves.
Then the herald called again, saying
that he saw that the cattle had been sent