San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-01-28

the news here is that there is a Zulu
impi upon your spoor and within two
miles of the wagon. That l know, for
have just shot two of their sentries, and
showed him my empty gun.
For moment there was a silence of
establishment, and | saw the bronzed
faces of the men turn pale beneath their
tan, while one or two of the women
gave a little scream. and the children
crept to their sides.
"Almighty," cried Hans, that must
be the Cmtetwa regiment that Dingaan
sent against the Basutus, but who could
not come at them because of the marshes,
and so were afraid to return to Zululand
and struck north to join Mosilikaaye."
''Laager up, Carries! Lager up for
your lives, and one of you jump on a
horse and drive in the cattle"
AT that moment my own wagons came
up. 1ndaba-zimbi was sitting on the box
of the first, wrapped in blanket. l
called him and told him the news.
Ill tidings, Macumazahn," he said;
there will be dead Beers about to-mor-
row morning, but they will not attack
till dawn, then they will wipe out the
laagcr 50. and he passed his hand be-
fore his mouth.
stop that croaking, YOU white headed
crow | said, though | knew that his
words were true. What chance had a
laager Of ten wagons all told against at
least two thousand of. the bravest savages
in the world:
"MaCumazahn, will you take my adj
vice this time" lndaba-zimbi said pres
emily.
"What is it, | asked.
This Leave your wagons here,
jump on that horse, and let us two run
for it as hard as we can go. The Zulus
won't follow us, they will be looking af-
ter the Beers"
81 won't leave the other white men,"
said; sit would be the act of a coward.
If die, die.
Very well, Macumazahn, then stay
and be killed." he answered. taking a
pinch of snuff. Come, let us see about
the wagons" and we walked towards
the lager.
Here everything was in confusion.
However, got hold of Hans Botha and
put it to him if it would not be best to
desert the wagons and make a run for
life.
"How can we do it?' he answered.;
two Of the women are too fat to go
mile, one is sick in childbed, and we
have only six horses among us. Besides,
if we did We should Starve in the desert
No, Her Allan, we must fight it out
with the savag"s, and God help US"
God help us. indeed. Think of the
children. Hans"
81 cant bear to think he answered,
in n broken voice, looking at his own
little girl, sweet, curly haired, blue
eyed child of 6, named Tota, whom 1
had often nursed as baby. "Oh, Heer
Allan, your father, the Predicant, al
ways warned me against trekking north,
and | never would listen to him because
[ thought him a cursed EngliShman;
now I see my folly. Heer Allan, if you
can, try to save my child from those
black devils; if you live longer than I
do, or if you can't save her, kill her."
and he clasped my hand.
1T hasn't come to that yet, Hans" /
said.
Then we set to work on the lager.
The wagons, of which, including my
two, there were ten, were drawn
into the form of a square. and the
dsselboOm of each securely dashed
with reinS to the underworks of
that in front of it. The wheels also
were locked. and the space between the
ground and the bed planks of the wag-
ons was stuffed with branches of the
wait bit thorn that fortunately grew
near in considerable quantities. In this
way barrier was formed of no mean
strength as against foe unprovided
with firearms, places being left for the
men to fire from. In a little over an
hour everything was done that could be
done, and a discussion arose as to the
disposal of the cattle, which had been
driven up close to the camp. Some of
the Beers were anxious to get them into
the laager, small as it was, or at least as
many of them as it would hold.
| argued strongly against this, point
ing out that the brutes would probably
be seized with a panic as soon as the fir
ing began, and trample the defenders of
the laager under foot. AS an alternative
plan | suggested that some of the native
servants should drive the herd along the
valley of the river till they reached a
friendly tribe or some other place of
safety. OF course, if the Zulus saw them
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