Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-12-28
THE LOST HEIRESS.
, OF Love. Battle and Adventure.
EARNEST
Among The Focke"
EARNEST GRANVILLE,
COPYRIGHTED 1901
CHAPTER xxvIu.-THE FLASH.

limb and naked. but for the light cover
ing about their loins, rushed for the
rocks about their young chief. Some
were overtaken by the horsemen, and
met their death in silence after fierce
fight. One man, at Sirayo's bidding,
mounted the white horse and rode away,
not without much demur.
Then, at word from the chief. the
men spread out among the rocks, on a
small isolated ridge OF horseshoe shape,
and in some mysterious way melted from
sight.
The horsemen dashed up-the Basutos
in their wild excitement having broken
from the column formation, and acting
each independent of the other. The
white trooper kept somesemblance of Or
der under the stern command of the
colonel, but they, too, were inclined to
break loose. 1t looked as if they had
got the Zulus Ia trap and they were
eager for the fray.
The foremost Basutos, when they
reached tie foot of the ridge, still kept
urging on their wiry ponies up over the
stones.
When halfway up, score of dark
figures slipped from their coucealment
and leapt down upon the horsemen.
few wild cries. @ few sharp thrusts, and
q dozen ponies dashed away riderless.
Rolled the war shout "Usutu'' from the
rocks, and again the warriors, with
blood -stained assegais, regained their
shelter.
volley was poured upon them, and
the bullets striking against the stones
ricocEeted harmlessly away. with q shrill
whistling. The Iulus from their shelter
answered with haunting cries and a scat
tered fusilade.
"Dismount! forward-charge! The
orders came like pistol shots.
With cheer the troopers dashed to
the attack, their carbines ready, their
lips tightly pressed, and eyes bright.
They reached the base amid hot fire,
and rushed up from rock to rock without
further resistance, and topped the sum
init unharmed, then looked in vain for
the foe.
Course them. there they go like jack
ais. After them my lads, and down
the other side dashed half the troopers
in hot pursuit, the colonel's orders "to
horse' falling on unhesdiDg ears.
They dashed across a small hollow
with the eagerness of pursuers, and the
to mount another ridge, behind which
the active enemy had disappeared. the
terrible war cry rang out from above,
and Ike an avalanche the untiring war
riors descended. The voliey from the
carbines was poured IN hurriedly 10y the
painting troopers, and before they could
reload the long blades of the stabbing
assegais were rafting against their rifle
barrel. A thud now and then, low
moan marked the death of trooper, a
smashing crash and heavy fall told that |
a Zulu's skull had been broken by a
heavy blow with dubbed rifle.
The tall, muscular form of Sirayo |
lowered in the thicksst. His crane |
feathers were severed clear of by q |
sabre cut, but the arm which dealt the |
blow was Derveless. His spear was |
reeked with blood, and his eyes rolled |
like those of an Infatuated lion. Slowly |
the troopers, overwhelmed, rstreated in
compact order. but the Usutu war cry
rose round them from every side.
The thunder of charging horses rose
above the din of strife, and the Zulus,
at their chiefs command, turned and
ran for the shelter of the ridge; their loss
had been slight, but their ssssilants suf-
Tered heavily.
|
Tlles of the foe, and measured the dis
lance TO the top of the ridge with view
TO another charge.
"Capt. Blaine, - said the colonel,
''take fifty men, retreat until you are
but of sight, then sweep round 10 the
rear OF the ridge. Fire q Yoley when
Tou are in position. We will charge,
md you must check the euemy's retreat.
| give you ten minutes.
Blaine saluted-turned to his troop.
I'By your l-trot-gallop.
he rode quarter of mile, turned to
the left. then swept round. guided by
The intermittent firing kept up between
ME troopers and the Zulus.
The ground at the back of the ridge
Tas Broken. and he saw at glance il
gas impossible for the cavalry TO move
With any effect. There WAS another plan
which offered, and his soldierly instincts
aed on II at once.
A small rocky kopje rose some distance
20 the right rear of the ridge held by the
kulus. He saw that Srayo would make
FOR that vantage when dislodged and he
determined &c hold il himself and sur
prise the enemy. 1t was risk, but he |
resolved TO take it.
Telling of ten men under an expert
'nced sergeant to approach the ridge
and to fire from its left flank
Il an obiique direction, with orders TO
iy II pursued, he himself with thirty
I've men took up position in the kopje,
he other five being told off to keep the
horses well out of sight, behind the
topic.
The ten minutes were up, the Zulus
began to break cover when they dis
covered the presence of the Len troopers
They hesitated a moment, then broke
Lway for the kopie as Blaine imagined,
unheeded the volley from the
en- mounted men, and running with in
'redible swiftness.
They were at the base of the kopie aud /
we're mounting up with. springy strides,
when a deadly volley was poured into I
hem from Blaine's men.
The surprise did what the volley itself j
'ould not have effected. A panic seized
N the warriors and they began to run. 1
The first to turn fell under an assegai
hrust. 6
"Dogs!' shouted the chief, "would I
ou fly from death hers to meet it in 1
hameful way as towards at the kraal? c
follow me.
He leapt over the rocks, with his | /
held before him. and after him, with '
hriiliDp prv his man wapf cprcad;pr | VI