The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-02-15

poured into tin pannlkin, giving to
each stiff draw, and making attempts
to be cheerful as he did so. But his af-
fected POPULARITY only seemed to depress
his comrades the more. Certainly it
oppressed me. ,.e..
Now the light was growing, and we
could see some way into the mist which
still hung densely over the river, and
now-ah! there it was. From the other
side of the hill, thousand yards or
more from the lager, came faint hum
ming sound 1t grew and grew till it
gathered to a chant-the awful war;
chant of the Zulus. Soon I could catch
the words. They We're simple enough.
"We shall slay, we shall STAY. Is it not so, my
brothersf
Our spears shall blush blood-red. Is it not so
my brothers?
For we are the stockings of Chaka; blood Is
our milk, my brothers.
Awake, children Of the Umtetwa awake!
The vulture wheels, the jaokal shifts the air;
Awake, children of the Umtetwa-cry aloud,
ye ringed men; ".
There is the foe; we shall Stay them. Is it
. not so, my brothers?
S'geei iS'gee! S'gee!"
Such is rough translation Of that
hateful chant, which often hear to this
very day in my dreams. It does not
look particularly 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 war
riors, singing all to time, he would have
found it impressive enough. ,-.
Now the shields began to appear over
the brow of the rise. They came by
companies, each company about a hun
dred strong. Altogether there were
thirty-one companies. counted them.
When all were over they formed them
selves into a triple line, then trotted
down the slope toward us. At a dis
lance of hundred and fifty yards, OF
just out of shot Of such guns as we had
in those days, they halted and began
singing again:
"Yonder is the kraal Of the white mana little
kraal, my brothers;
We shall eat it up; we shall trample 1t fat,
my brothers.
But where are the white mans cattle-where
are his oxen, my brotherss"
This question seemed to puzzle them
great deal, for they sang the song
again and again. At last a herald came
forward great man with ivory rings
ion his armand, putting his hands to
his mouth, called to us asking where
our cattle were.
Hans Botha climbed onto the top Of a
wagon and roared out that they might
answer that question themselves.
Then the herald called again, saying
that he saw that the cattle had been
sent away.
eve shall go and find the cattle,," he
said; ssthen 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 menW
This struck me as q very odd speech,
for the Zulus generally attack an enemy
first and take his cattle afterwards;
h still. there was certain amount OF
plausibility about it. While I was still
wondering what it all might mean the
Zulus began to run past US in companies
toward the river Suddenly shout an
nounced that they had found the ispoor
Of the cattle, and the whole Impi OF
them started down it at a run until they
vanished over q rise about quarter OF 9
mile away. .5.... ,55s
We waited for half an hour or more,
but nothing could we see Of them.
ssNow, / wonder IL the devils have
really gone?v said Hans Botna to me.
ssIt IA very atranra u .Bs rs a s.5.388s + s s. 81