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

OF il would shine for Il few moments on
his pale, anxious face.
Behind me one of the stout 'fraus" lay
upon the ground. Even the terror of our
position could not keep her heavy eyes
from their accustomed sleep, and she
snored loudly On the further side of her,
Just by the fire, lay little Tota, wrapped
in kaross. She was asleep also. her
thumb in her mouth. and from time to
time her father would come to look at
her.
So the hours wore on while we waited
for the Zulus. But from my intimate
knowledge Of the habits of natives, had
little fear that they would attack US at
night, though, had they done so, they
could have comprised our destruction
with but small loss to themselves. 1t is
not the habit of this people, they like to
fight in the light of day-at dawn fol-
preference.
About eleven O'Clock, just as was nod.
ding a little at my post, | heard a low
whistle outside the lager. Instantly !
was wide awake, aud all along the line ]
heard the clicking of locks as the Beers
cooked their guns.
"Macumazahn," said a voice, the voice
of Indaba zimbi. are you there?"
Yes / answered.
"Then hold Il light so that can see how
to climb into the lager he said
''Yah, yahl hold light" put IN one of
the Beers al don't trust that black
schepsel of yours, Heer Quatermain; he
may have some of his countrymen with
him."
Accordingly lantern was produced and
held towards the voice. There was india
ba-Zimbi alone We let him into the laag-
er and asked him the news.
This is the news white men," he said.
Il waited till dark, and creeping up to
the place where the Zulus are encamped,
hid myself behind a stone and listened.
They are a great regiment of Umtetwas
az Buar BOtha yOnder thought. They
struck the spoOr of the wagons three days
ago and followed it. Tonight they sleep
upon their spears, tomorrow at daybreak
they will attack the laager and kill every
body. They are very bitter against the
Beers, because of the battle at Blood River
and the other fights, and that is why they
followed the wagons instead of going
straight north after MOsilikaaye."
kind Of groan wentup from the group
Of listening Dutchman.
INSTEAD of waiting to be butchered here
like a buck in pitfall, let Us go out now
and fall upon the Impi while it sleeps"
This proposition excited some discussion
but in the end only one man could be
found to vote for it. Beers as rule dislike
that dash which makes great soldiers;
such fororn hopes are not in their lines,
and rather than embark upon them they
prpfar "a tn -p their oh in
however poor that chance may be. For
my own part firmly believe that had my
advice been taken we should have routed
the Zulus. Seventeen desperate white
men armed with guns would have pro-
duced no small effect upon camp of
sleeping savages But it was not taken.
so it is no use talking about it.
After that we went back to our posts,
and slowly the weary night wore on to-
wards the dawn. Only those who have
watched under similar circumstances
while they waited the advent of almost
certain and cruel death can know the
tOrturing suspense of those heavy hours.
But they went somehow, and at last in
the far East the sky began to Tighten,
while the cold breath of dawn stirred the
tits OF the wagons and chilled me to the
DplltC' L ilS itlt - uAN NbIIlttil btuluCl llC
woke with yawn, then, remembering
all, moaned aloud, while her teeth chat
tered with cold and fear. Hans Botha
went to his wagon and got a bottle of
peach brandy, from which he poured into
IA tin pannkin, giving us each a stiff draw
and making attempts to be cheerful us he
did so. But his affected iocularity only
seemed to depress his comrades the more
Certainly it oppressed me.
Now the light was growing and we
could see some way into the mist which
still hung densely over the river, and
now, ali! there it was. From the other
side of the hill, thousand yards or more
from the laager, came faint humming
sound. 1t grew and grew till it gathered
to a chant-the awful .ar-chant of the
Zulus. Soon | could catch the words
They were simple enough:
ave shall slay. we shall Stay. Is it not So my
brOtht rsY
Our spears shall blush bIood-rcI. Is it not
SO, my brOthcrs2
For are the suCklinES of ChalLH; blood is
milk. my brothers.
Awake! children of the Umtetwa, HwakeI
The vulturc wheels, the iuckHl smiths the air;
Awake, children of the UmtctWa-cry aloud.
We rngCd mcu:
There is the foe; we shall Stay them. is 1t not
SO my hIOthcrS2
Such is a rough translation of that hate
full chant, which l often hear to this very
day in my dreams. 1t does not look par
ticularly imposing on paper. but if the
reader could have heard it as it rolled
through the still air from the Threats of
nearly three thousand warriors. singing
all to time, he would have found it i'm
prcSSivc enough.
NnV- 10 sbia1IG ba,rou tp amman Dy-oy
the brow Of the rise They came by com
panies, each company about hundred
strong. Altogether there were thirty one
companies. | counted them. When all
were over they formed themselves into a
triple line, then trotted down the slope to-
wards us At distance of hundred and
fifty yards, or just out of shot of such
guns as we had in those days, they halted
and began singing again:
"Youdcr is the kranI of the white man
But where arc TIRE white mans cattle-where
are his oxen, my broth rs2
This question seemed to puzzle them
great deal, for they sang the song again
and again. At last herald came for
ward-a great man with ivory rings on
his ARMAND, putting his hands to his
mouth, called out to us asking where our
cattle were.
Hans Botha climbed on to the top of
wagon and roared out that they might an
swer that question themselves.
Then the herald called again, saying
that he saw that the cattle had been sent
away.
1--WE shall go and find the CATTLE" he
said. Then we shall come and kill you.
because without cattle you must stop
where yOu are, but if we wait to kill you
before we get the cattle, they may have
trekked too far for us to follow. But if
You try to run away we shall easily catch
you white menu
This struck me as a very odd speech, for
the Zulus generally attack an enemy first
and take his cattle afterwards: still, there
was certain amount of plausibility about
1t. While | was still wondering what it
all might mean. the Zulus began to run
past us in companies towards the river.
Suddenly a shout announced that they
had found the spoor of the clttle, and the
whole Impi of them started down it at q
run till they vanished over a rise about a
quarter of Il mile away.
We waited for half an hour or more, but
nothing lOuld we see of them.
Now | wonder if the devils have really
gone" said Hans Botha to me. 1T is very
strange"
II will 90 and see," said Iudaba-ztmbi,
'ff you will come with me, Macumazahn.
We can creep TO the top of the ridge and