Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-30


winding up by firing the village.
It took the patient labor OF several
weeks to build each hut. The long plant
wands were cut miles away on the
Tugela, the thatch was woven in by
skilled hands, the floor was stamped and
polished after days of labor, but in ten
minutes all that remained was heap OF
smouldering ashes.
On their way to the hill above, the
Zulu women and men turned to watoh
the destruction of their homes which,
to them, were as dear as the homes OF
their white enemies.
Mary, warned by the reflection on the
mist. turned to watch, aud tears gaIn-
cred ir her eyes as she looked.
Blaine's troop of horse marked the
beacon of FIRE and advanced at a trot.
Sirayo also saw the leaping flames and
his black eyes seemed to reflect the glare
for they shons like Goals of fire.
"Someone will die for that. The hand
that fired it has lit his way to death. L
have said it,.
CHAPTER XI THE SON OF DESTINY.
Amid the ashes of tho burnt village
Blaine's troop took their breakfast,
gathering cobs of green corn from the
feathery tipped maize stalks to roast on
the embers.
There they waited for the colonel to
come up, while above them on the ridge
was a handful of Zulus looking down
upon their ruined homes.
A column of horse moved up the valley
at a leisurely pace, and the sun was wei
I'D when it Joined Blaine's advanced
troops. The hungry troopers we're soon
busy clustered about a dozen fires roast
;yy ND q
ing pannikin of black coffee. Between
sips the men would glance up TO the
small groups of Zulus above them, ana
they speculated on the chance of q brush.
at would be mighty tough place to
tackls,'' observed Rowe, running hls
eye over the bowlder-strewn track. "a
score of men should hold it against
hundred, and it 3 NO place for cavalry to
swarm up.'
$50 1t seems, sure enough, an
swered trooper, who was chewing
stalk OF imphi (sweet cane). But trust
the colonei-ir ne goes up, well he goes
ur, that's all.
Rowe went off to study the leader,
whom everyone IN camp called the
colonel, and who, as he had already dis
| covered, inspired the most implicit con-
| fidence in his men. He saw tall, lean
limbed man dressed in plain gray rio
ing dress and broad smasher, bound
! round With strip of red, and wearing
no weapon but a revolver suspended
from a wide leather belt.
This was Col. Redver5 Buller-an Off
| Ger who has since shown his generalship
| on the sands of Egypt. His extraordi-
| nary GOODNESS in danger, carried to
| point OF absolute indifference, had
ID, IF oil in
army, his strong individuality had given
him an influence which his rank at the
| time did not warrant, and bis self-re-
lance, readiness, capacity for endurance
and marvellous "eye for the country
| had Won the confidence Of his men.
| Where he led they would follow without
| question and without hesitation.
His eyes were gray, rather small but
| keen and commanding. His nose was
| thin and long, his lips thin, with an ex-
! preston abou: them babitually stern and
| at times ill-tempered. His voice was
sharp, quick and clear. and when raised
| in reproof it fell like the lash of whip,
making the offender quail. There was
| nothing genial about the colonel; he was
| essentially q leader of fighting men,
| grim and hard, with muscles Of iron that
defied all fatigue.
| Near him was another notable figure (,
| engaged like good horseman in attend
| ing to his chsrger, fine, splendid gray.
He was running his open hand, rather
| white and delicate, over the animal 3
| coat, and stopping where he felt swell
| ing to pick out s:tick'' which bad Sc
GREETED itself under the hair and was
swelling itself out with blood.
Stop q moment and look at horse and
rider, for the latter is prince imperial of
| France, and the horse is the same that
| led to his death.
! Unlike the other officers of irregular
| horse, the prince wore sabre in addi-
tion to his revolver, and pith helmet in
| place of the usual smssher. His slight
| but we'll built figure showed him to pos
sess uncommon activity, and the care he
| gave to his horse was evidence OF q
| thoughtful and kindly disposition.
| Now be rubs his hand over the horse 3
muzzle, and turns to the colonel. His
oval face is grave and purposeful. The
| small mouth is sensitive, the clean cut
| jaw and chin show signs of power, the
| delicately chlseled nose, is one of the true
| Napoleon shape, but the eyes are the
| charm of the face. They are large, grey
| eyes, calm in their gaze, yet with tinge
| of sadness in them, and that look Of des-
| tiuy which ia seen in the expressions of
| some men.
| Presently hubbub of voices an
nounced that something unusual had &C.
| Cured. number of men were eagerly
glanoing up to the ridge where the group
of Zulus had been joined by man on a
| white horse.
| Que of the officers possessed q field
glass and this was eagerly in demand.
| 1t was in time handed to the prince, who
stood on au anthill and looked long and
| earnestly.
The man on the white horse was trgs
ing to encourage the Zulu to show fight!
He rode up aud down, and his arm could
| be seen in violent gestulation.
"Who is 1t? some chief l suppose.
| A Basuto of Cochran 9 horse-s picked
lot OF native Aforementioned a mo-
ment up, and Immediately pronounced
the man TO be SIrayo. >
1.-THE same spy who escaped from the
camp?" queried the prince. 1--WE may
hope to take him prisoner If he will only
stand.
What strange fate has thrown the heir
| of Napoleon across the path of the de-
scendent of Chaka, the Zulu conqueror.