Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-26

| save Inem Dy drawing tn6 onase upon
| himself.
He lured the Basutos after him by
taunts, and led them In direction away
| from his dispirlted followers. For a
short time the Basutos gained on the
chief, but when they were shouting in
their exultation, the white horse sud-
denly shot away like an arrow.
The bsffled pursuers looked to their
long Martini rifles, when the gallant
gray passed them with his long strides,
| and the prince alone went in pursuit.
Yard by yard he gained upon thefiying
chief, the laggard horsemen behind
watching with breathless interest. when
Sirayo again disappointed their expscta-
! tons. Suddenly swerving from the plain
he went headlong down rocky path on
the further side of the hill.
The Prince had 10 draw up on the
brink, and by-and-bys, was joined by
| the others The men dismounted and
fired at the flying horseman, but he rode
| on unhurt, and presently reaching
small kopie, he paused to shake his
! assegal, then was lost TO view.
The scene from the fiat top of the
mountain, robbed of its human element,
was one of quiet beauty. Below the
sheer drop of the precipice nestled a
native village, the smoke still rising
| from the fires, and the cattle grazing
| quietly around. A rushing mountain
| stream foamed in q broad white line
| round the huts. Beyond was the open
grass veldt stretching away to lofty
hills, with other hills and ridges beyond
| lined with a dark line of forest trees.
The village below, however, was aban-
doned. Its frightened owners were now
flying across the veldt, leaving behind
all their simple household effects, as
| much treasured by them as if they were
as priceless as rare ornaments in Euro
pesn mansions. The calm, pure air rat
tied to the sound of rifle reports as the
troopers, with many jest, fred almless
shots at the flying people, to make them
run the faster.
War has its epics-its heroes and hero
isms-its acts ard sublime abnegetiou,
like that of Sir Sidney Smith-buu it
is often cruel, vindictive and oowardly.
Down the steep, rough track, which
Sirayo had traversed, wound the troop,
each man leading hrs horse, with the
exception of the prince, who had fit of
recklessness upon him. They off saddled
on the banks OF the noisy stream, and
some of the marksmeu amused them
selves IN shooting the few head Of cattle
left behind by the Zulus.
The poor brutes received the bullets
that were fired into them by Impractical
hands in silent stupor, pitiful beyond
the power of expression. A buffalo would
have charged down upon his slayers, but
these patient creatures met their death
where they stood, their bodies shrinking
under the shock of each leaden missel,
until they weakened from loss of blood,
swaYed with deep means, and fell. This
is war!
The huts were specimens of careful
construction and housewifely care. The
long wands were placed SO close together
that 1t was almost impossible to stick a
knife between, and they were polished
smooth with beeswax. Outside the door
of one on q patch of clean sand was d
pathetic sight. Only little kraal, made
of smooth pebbles, with knuckle joints
from goats and deer for cattle-but it
was the work of little children, their in
nocent laughter mingling with the voice
of the brook IS they played their games
in the morning. While still engaged at
their happy play the warning had come,
their mothers had snatched them up,
and now they were hiding In some VOLTS
hole, where they trembled in fear of the
approach of the fierce white man.
The torch was placed to the huts and
they famed on high. So that village |
too was left in rufus to mark the track of
the civilized foe, while the blood from |
one OK slaughtered while ne drank,
stained the pure stream deep red.
As the mounted men left the place, the |
prince leaped over the burning fence of |
thorn which had formed the ring of one |
cattle kraal. He was reckless with a |
purpose, so it seemed, eager to show that |
no faint of fear was in his blood.
1t was that restless, reckless spirit, the |
desire to do some feat of arms that |
brought him again into that fatal meet
ing with the warrior he had chased that |
day.
ITO be Continued