Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1890-02-15

ing their huge teeth. waited till they
were within fifteen yards, Then fired
the elephant gun, which was loaded
with slugs, right into the thick Of them.
In that narrow place the report echoed
like cannon shot. but Its sound was
quickly swallowed in the volie- OF pierc
ing human sounding groans and screams
that solowed. The charge Of heavy slugs
had lowed through the number of the
balloons, of which at least dozen lay
dead or dying in the passage. For mo
luent they hesitated, then they came or
again with hideous clamor. Fortunate
" by this time lndaba-zimbi, who alse
had a gun, was standing by my side, 9th.
erwise / should have been torn to pieces
before Icould reload. He fired both bar
rels into them. and again checked the
rush. But they came ON again, and not
withstanding the appearance of two ma
tives with guns, which they let off with
more or less success, we should have been
overwhelmed by the great and ferocious
apes had not by this time succeeded in
reloadiug the elephant gun. When they
were right on to us l fired, with even
more deadly effect than before, for al
THAT distance every slug told on theii
long line. The howls and screams of rage
and fury were now something inconceiv
able. One might have thought that we
were doing battle with host of de
mons; indeed Ii that light-for thu
oyerhanging arch of rock made il
very dark-the crashing shouts and
somber glowing eyes of the apes looked
like those of devils as they are repro
scented by monkish fancy. But the last
shot was too much for them; they with
drew, dragging some Of their wounded
with them, md thus gave us time to get
our men up the cliff. In few minutes
| all were there, and we advanced down
the passage, which presently opened into
rocky gulley with shelving sides. This
gulley had a water way at the bottom Of
1t; it was about hundred yards long.
and the slopes on either side were topped
by precipitous cliffs. looked at these
| slopes; they literally swarmed with ba
boons, grunting, barking, screaming,
and beating their breasts with their long
| arms In fury. looked up the water way
along it, accompanied by mob, or, as
| it were, guard of balloons, came Hen.
drika, her long hair flying, madness writ
ten on her face, and in her arms was the
senseless form of little Tota.
She saw us, and foam of rage burst
| from her lips. She screamed aloud. Tc
me the sound was a mere inarticulate
cry, but the balloons clearly understood
it, for they began to roll rocks down on
to us. One bowlder leaped past me and
struck down q Kaffir behind; another
| fell from the roof of the arch on to 0
mans head and killed him, Indaba-zimbi
lifted his gun to shoot Hendrika;
knocked 1t up so that tho shot went over
her, crying that he would kill the child.
Then / shouted to the men to open out
and form q line from side to side of the
| shelving gulley. Furious at the loss OF
their two comrades, they obeyed me,
and keeping in the water way myself,
together with Indaba-zimbi and the
other guns, gave the word to charge.
Then the real battle began. 1t is diff
cult to say who fought the more fiercely,
the natives or the balloons. The Kaffirs
charged along the slopes, and as they
came, encouraged by the screams Of
Hendrika, who rushed to and fro hold
ing the wretched Toto before her as a
| shield, the apes bounded at them in fury.
| Scores were killed by the assegais and
| many more fell beneath our gun shots.
| but still they came on. Nor did we 20
| scathless. Occasionally a man would
| slip, or be pulled over in the grip of a
| balloon. Then the others would fling
themselves upon him like dogs ON rat,
and worry him to death. We lost five
men in this way, and myself received
| bite through the fleshy part of the left
| arm, but fortunately native near me
assegaied the animal before was pulled
| down.
At length, and all Of a sudden, the
balloons gave up. A panic seemed to
seize them. Notwithstanding the cries
| of Hendrika they thought no more of
| fight, but only of escape; some even did
| not attempt to get away from the asse-
| gals of the Kaifirs, they simply hid their
| horrible faces In their paws, and, moan
ing piteously, waited to be slain.
Hendrika saw that the battle was lost.
Dropping the child from her arms, she
| rushed straight Mt us, a very picture of
| horrible insanity. lifted my gun, but
| could not bear to shoot. After all she
was but mad thing. half ape, half
woman. So sprang to one side, and
she landed full on Indaba-zimbi, knock
ing him down. But she did not stay to
do any more. Wailing terribly, she
rushed down the gulley and through the
arch, followed by many of the surviving
balloons, and vanished from our sight.
CHAPTER XII.