Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-04-11

reflection, for now the whole Impi was
pouring back from the Donga and river
banks where it had hidden while their
ruse was carried out and once more
formed up on the side of the slope. l was
taken to the crest of the slope and placed
in the centre of the reserve line IN the
especial charge of a huge Zulu named
Bombyane, the same man who had come
forward as herald.
This brute seemed to regard me with
an affectionate curiosity. Now and again
he poked me in the ribs with the handle
of his assegai as though TO assure himself
that l was solid, and several times he ask
ed me TO be so good as to prophecy how
many Zulus would be killed before the
''Amaboona," as they called the Beers,
We're ''eaten up"
At first l took no notice of him beyond
scowling, but presently, goaded into an
ger, prOphesied that he would be dead
in an hour.
He only laughed aloud "Oh, white
spirit" he said, as it so? Well, I've walk
ed long way from ZuIuland, and shall
be glad of rest"
And he got it shortly, as will be seen.
Now the Zulus began to sing again
We have caught the white spirit, my brother!
my brother!
out, my brother,
Now the haboona are ours-they are already
dead, my brother.
So that treacherous villain IHdaba-zimbi
had betrayed me. Suddenly the Chief of
the Impi, gray-haired man named Su-
susa, held up his assegai, and instantly
there was silence. Then he spoke to some
indunas who stood near him. Instantly
they ran to the right and left down the
win u nd IN "a Eain of
each company as they passed him. Pres
emily they were at the respective ends of
the lines, and simultaneously held up their
spears.
As they did So with an awful roar of
"Bulata Amaboona''-''Slayt the Boers,''
| the entire line, numbering nearly a thou
| sand men, bounded forward like a buck
| startled from its form, and rushed down
upon the little lager.
| 1t was a splendid sight to see them,
their assegais glittering in the sunlight
as they rose and fell above their black
| shields, their war-plumeS bending back
! upon the breeze, and their fierce faces
set intentIy on the foe, while the solid
| earth shook beneath the thunder of their
rushing feet. thought OF my poor friends
| the Dutchmen, and trembled. What
| chance had they against so many?
| Now the ZuluS, running in the shape of
bow so as to wrap the laager round on
| three sides, were within seventy yards,
and now from every wagon broke tongues
| of fire. Over rolled number of the UNI
tetwa, but the rest cared little. On they
| rushed right up to the lager, striving to
! force way in.
But the Beers piled them with volley
| after yolley, and, packed as the Zulus
were, the elephant guns loaded with slugs
and small shot did frightful execution.
! Only one man ever got on to wagon,
and as he did so l saw a Boer woman
strike him on the head with an ak He
fell back, and slowly, amid bowls of de-
rision from the two lines on the hillside,
| the Zulus drew back.
| LET US go, father!' shouted the soldiers
on the slope, among whom | was, to their
| chief, who had come up. you have sent
out the little girls to fight and they
! are frightened. Let US show them the
| way"
mo, mop the chief Sususa answered,
| laughing. ''Wait Il minute and the little
! girls will grow to women, and women are
| good enough to fight against Beers"
The attacking Lulus heard the m ockery
! of their fellows and rushed forward again
with Il roar. But the Beers in the laager
| had found time to load, and they met with
| warm reception. Reserying their fire
| till the Lulus were packed like sheep in
a kraal they lOOsed into them with the
roers, and the warriors fell in little heaps.
But saw that the blood of the Umtet-
was was up. They did not mean to be
| beaten back this time, and the end was
near. Seel six men had leapt on to the
wagon, slain the man behind it and sprung
| into the Iaager. They were killed there.
! but others followed, and then l turned my
head. But l could not shut my ears to
the cries of rage and death and the terrible
| "S'gee! S'geep' of the savages as they did
their work of murder.
Once only looked up, and saw poor
| Hans Botha standing on a wagon shifting
down men with the butt of his rifle Then
assegais shot up towards him like tongues
of steel, and when | looked again he was
gone.
| turned sick with fear and rage. But
| alas! what could l do? They were all
dead now, and probably my own turn
was coming, only my death would not be
so swift.
! The fight was ended and tn two lines
| on the slope broke their order and moved
| down to the lager Presently we were
| there, dnG q ufGaulul SlghJ IL was. Many
of the attacking Zulus were dead-quite
| fifty | should say and at least a hundred
and fifty were wounded, some of them
mortality. The chief Sususa gave an order,
the dead men We're picked up and piled in
| heap, while those who were slightly
hurt walked off to get some one To tie up
| their wounds.
| But the more serious cases met with
different treatment. The chief or one of
his indunas considered each case, and if it
| was in any way bad the man was taken
up and thrown into the river which ran
near None of them offered any objection.
though one poor fellow swan to shore
again. He did not stop there long, how
| ever, for they pushed him back and drown
| Ell MIN by force.
The strangest case of all was that of the
| chiefs own brother. He had been cap
tain Of the line, and his ankle was smash
| ed by a bullet. Sususa came up to him,
and, having examined the wound, rated
| HIM soundIy for falling in the first on
| slHUght