Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-03-06
NUMBER ?.

that followed The charge of heavy
slugs had piowcd thr ugh a number
of the balloons, u which at least
dozen lay dead ~ dying in the passage.
For moment they hcsitated, then they
came ON again with a hiGeous clamor.
Fortunately by this time lndaha-zimhi,
who also had a gun. was standing by my
side, otherwise | should have been torn
70 pieces before I could reload. He fired
both barrels into them, and again
checked the rush But they came on
again. and Notwithstanding the appear
ance of two alternatives with guns, which
they let off wi IA more or less success, we
should have been overwhelmed by the
great and ferocious apes had not by
this time succeeded in relOading the
elephant gun. When they were right
on to us fired, With even more deadly
effect than before, for at that distance
every slug told on their long line. The
bowls and screams of rage and fury
were now something inconceivable.
One might have thought we were doing
battle with host of demons; indeed in
that light-for the overhanging arch of
rock made it very dark the gnashing
shouts and somber, glowing eyes OF
the apes looked like those Of devils as
they are represented by monkish fancy.
But the last shot was too much for them;
they withdrew, dragging some of their
wounded with them. and thus gave us
time to get our men up the cliff. In
few minutes all we're there, and we adj
vanced down the passage, which pres
emily opened into rocky gully with
shelving sides. This gully had water
way at the bottom OF it; it was about a
/ hundred yards long, and the slopes on
either side were topped by precipitous
cliffs | looked at these slopes; they
| literally swarmed with balloons, grunt-
4 ing, barking, screaming and beating
their breasts with their long arms in
fury. locked up the waterway; along
it, accompanied by a mob, or. as it were,
1 a guard of balloons, came Hendrika, her
long hair flying, madness written on her
/ face, I in her arms was the senseless
form Ga little Tota.
She saw us and foam Of rage burst
from her lips. She screamed aloud. To
me the sound was a mere articulate cry,
but the balloons clearly understood it,
for they began 10 roll rocks down on
to US. One boNlder leaped past me and
struck down q Kaiiir behind; another
fell from tho roof or the arch on to
mans head and killed him lndaba-
zimbi lifted his gun to shoot Hendrika;
knocked it up, SO that the shot went
over her, crying TIA be would Kill the
child Then shouted 20 the men to
open out and form a line from side TO
side of the shelving gully Furious at
the loss Of their two comrades, they
obeyed me, and keeping in the water
way myself together with lndaba-zimbi
and the other guns, gave the word to
charge.
Then the real battle began. It IL
difficult 10 say who fought the most
fiercely, the natives or the balloons.
The Kaffirs charged along the slopes,
and as they came, encouraged by the
screams Of Hendrika, who rushed to and
fro holding the wretched Tota before
her as shield, the apes bounded at
them in fury. Scores were killed by the
assegais and many more fell beneath
our gun-shots; but still they came on.
Nor did we go scatheless. Occasionally
man would Slip. or be pulled over in
the grip OF baboon. Then tho others
would fling themselves upon him like
dogs on rat and worry him TO death.
We lost fiW men In this way, and | my
self received bite through the fleshy
part of the left arm, but fortunately a
native near me assegaied the animal be-
fore | was pulled down.
At length, and all Of sudden, tho
balloons gave up. A panic seemed to
seize them. Notwithstanding the cries
of Hendrika they thought no more of
fight, but only of escape; some even did
not attempt 70 get away from the as
segais Of the Kafiirs, they simply hid
their horrible faces in their paws, and,
moaning piteously, waited to be slain.
Hendrika saw that the battle was
lost. Dropping the child from her arms,
/ she rushed straight at us, a very picture
of horrible insanity. | lifted my gun,
but could not bear to shoot. After all
she was but mad thing, half ape, half
woman. So ] sprang 70 one side, and
she landed fun on Indaba-zimbi, knock
ing him down But she did not stay to
do any more. Wailing terribly. she
rushed down the gully and through the
arch, followed by many Of the surviving
balloons, and vanished from our sight.
TO BE CONTINUED.