The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1890-10-04

- - IL! hiN>N. diiu IlOlil Nll.s L
that the way was open.
At last reached the very edge of the
rlrine. Up above m on the hilsides
coGld see the duSky forms moving to and
fro in the freight, and could hear the
rascals' conversation very plainly
| listened a moment. but all seemed
quiet ahead. The ZUlu, are sharp fellows.
and for Ill knew there might be half a
dozen savage warriors lurking in the
shadows, ready 70 impale me on their
asseGais.
There was no use in delaying. The
! sooner i was over the better. | spurrcd
! up my horse. and away we went into the
gloom at a sharp. quick trot. Twenty or
thirty yards had been covered. and / was
! Just beginning to congratulate myself.
| when whizL came an as>c~aI past my head
and dark form Sprang out Of the path just
IN time to escape my horses hoofs.
| Another came Il wing after my rctreating
! form, but n moment mo:e was beyond
! their reach. da>hin@ up the rayine at Il
( pace which de.ied pursuit.
Just rs supposed, the rascals had
been lurking there in the darkness. and
had the gloom not been SO intense |
would never have left the place alive.
The ravine narrowed to Il dark. rocky
gorge that finally let me out on the open
country, and then rode on in earnest,
tor II 1t was Il possible thing the
beleaguercd men must be saved. Mile
after mile | galloped over hill and plain
through jungle and meadow land. all the
while keeping sharp lookout for the
expected camp fires. Little did dream
OF the long distance that separated Sir
Evelyn Wood from the camp at Isandula.
L was needless of time in my excite
ment, and it was tremendous shock
when the first halo of dawn lighted up
the east. Morning already, Where was
Sir Evelyn, and what was taking place
at Isandulal
L drew rein on a small ridge overlook
ing the furrOwed plain For in the dis
lance shOne dim glimmer of water, and
on the right lay one of those irregular
rock formations that are met with only
IN Zululand-a great heap of stones
towering up from the plain.
The situation was full of perpleyity. |
could not make up my mind whether to |
go on in the hope of finding Sir Evelyn,
or to turn back and take the chances with |
my friends. My horse, meanwhile, had |
gone slowly down the slope, and sudden
ly, to my surprise, l found that l was
riding through an abandoned camp
ground. Here were the ashes of the |
fires, the spaces where the tents had
stood, the marks of the ammunition
wagons, and various camp refuse scattered
about.
That it was the camp of Sir Evelyn l
had no doubt. But the ashes were cold
and dead, and the traces of the march
showed that he had retreated toward the
Cmvolosi probably on the previous morn
ing.
To follow him was useless, and came
20 the hasty conclusion to ride back to
lsandula as rapidly as possible.
But destiny had other views for me.
up from the ground nv ewes
off to the left a sight that
actually left me incapable of motion for
! brief period.
A horde of dusky Zulu warriors was
over the crest of a sloping
idge, fifty yards distant, and in the dim
light | could see their OK hide shields and {
lssegais, and the swarthy CLEAN of their
'rawny arms and breasts.
The discovery was mutual. With a
lngle shout they came bounding down the
lope and were perilously near before ;
ealized my danger. | was off like
freak, heading straight for Isandula, &
1hen half dozen more of the fiends {
urst out of the bush in front of me, and
lodged down on my horses neck Just {
n time to escape two or three assegais c
hat went hurting past
| drew my revolver and shot the fore I
lost man and then made dash through /
hem. One big black fellow went down '
nder my horse and | rode over him. l
card his cry of pain and then my horse i
lddenly gave mad plunge and l shot |
eadfOremost to the ground. n
An assegai had pierced the poor ami b
lal IN the flank and off he went at gal C
'p, leaving me decidedly in the lurch. "
was on my feet instantly, and before =
ne astonished ZuluS realized it, | was
oundlng with great strides straight
cross the bush toward the towering mass
rocks. They swept on behind in full
~, and The larger force tina, had seen
rsr made break to cut me of from the :.
'cks II
| am at ali times a good runncr. bat On =
rs particular occasion beat all previ- L
i records. left tn ilcct-footei Zuus Il
shind, dodging from side 70 side to 9
'oid the flying aS>e"ais. and dashed up VI
) the rocks some yards ahead of the .
hcr party, who were sweeping along ut -
le top of their speed | turned side i
avs a. ran and took Il snap slot at the ,, -
adler, who was waving two assccais in =
most vicious m.inner. and then in fran l
e haste scrambled up the face of Tie W