Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-11-30

JtOhc WIS suppOcSu ~ SuViOS las N.iiS
/ digging trenches but ne always stretched
| himself OH his back with his sonbrero
over his face, and Dick never inter-
| tered.
''Whv not run away now, nobody
| looking?'' resumed Dick.
Rowe shifted his sombrero from his
eyes and looked at the Basuto-'W Wal I.
that beats creation. What would you
/ do II bolted?''
Dick tapped his rifle, and his eyes
. glisteneG. :Shoot, - he said-''per-
haps nit, perhaps miss-nefer shooted
white man. You run-gif you long
! sturt. See that bush. pointing to
bush 200 yards off-''weil, when you
/ get there-bang. ! fire. Come. git
! along.
Rowe sat up, to get good look at his
/ extraordinary guard, and then burst
! into laughter.
! Dick looked disappointed for minute,
! then smile spread over his shiny black
| face "No good, eh?-weli Skiu-Jacket
/ you run tonight. l leaf you alone in
| der tent.
"why do you wish me to escape,
| Dicki''
| .'Oh, dunno. Tired doing this work.
| Come here fight-not mind white man.
/ nay DC liIh NJ NePs-
/ Blaine.'
..You re right there. Dick. I'm not
| the man to strike another in the dark.
| The man who struck that blow was Capt.
Dulstou.
"So-how you kuow?'
'I've been thinking it over, and al
Though / have not proof / believe that ii
anyone struck Blaine il was Daistou.
mo iuee baas, replied Dick "deY d
ruther believe Cap'n Dalstou dan you
or me either-uu If you dOan escape you
es killed. You listen TO me-you run to-
night.
Rove, on the whole, was disposed TO
take Dick > advice. His mission had
failed. There was nothing 10 keep him
III the country, beyond the excitement
Of campaigning, which was now closed
20 him, and be had not the patience 10
wait the slow course of court martial.
His untamed nature chafed under his
Imprisonment.
That nights events favored him. All
troops, and more especially untried
troops, are subject 10 spasms of alarm.
and Lord Chelmsford's column had
violent attack that night. The nerves
OF the men had been strung by the news
of the princes death. and the imagina-
LION VI tIt NcuHS oOi'ilViS iSt. pSSh ~
upon awful tales OF Zulu tierceness and
cruelty. Moreover, since Isadlana,
Lord Chelmsford himself had been pam
fully appreheusive of fresh reverse,
aud his nervous state in q measure af-
fected his men. The elaborate precau-
tious he took, even TO the extent of
stretching wires aud laying dynamite
without tue lines, gave the men an ex-
agerated idea OF the proves of the en-
emv. Ii is bad TO despise an enemy, but
il is worse 10 over-esiltnate him.
Sentry duty should be done by trained
body of experienced men. When raw
recruits or young soldiers take TO sentry
70 In time of war, they are apt, by their
hluudcrs, to throw an entire army into
confusion. 1t was so on this night.
A sergeant and three of his men were
guarding front of hundred yards,
facing towards the south. from which a
Zulu impi would most probably come.
The moon was shining brightly and they
had no trouble at first in clearly distin-
gushing objects within radius of fifty
Yards Beyond that the shimmering
light deceived the sight, but the country
was free from bush. and every man was
certain he could spot Zulu easily at a
hundred yards, and an impi at half d
mile.
By-and-bye, however, as the melan-
choly noises OF the night rose from every
side, Imagination began TO work, and
they spoke in whispers of the terrible
mutilutions which the Zulus practiced on
their victims.
Said Private Denning, saturnine
fellow, with love for the horrible:
"First they crawl. and crawl, and crawl
like a-slimy snake, then they watches
you till you are off guard. Then 'soush'
goes that ugly lookin' stabbiug spear
into you.
Good lor', Bill, don't. 1t makes me
shiver.''
'.Yes: then they twist the blade round
in yer inside 10 let the blood run out
more freely; and then the blnck devils
rip you open, so,'' digging his thumb
into the others stomach with an upward |
movement to explain his meaning.
'.Shut up, Dennng.' said the SER
geant: "don't you see you re making |
Joe treInble like leaf Wish i could |
get within a ward of Zulu with my bay
onet. he muitered, glari.!g vlriously
over the veldt. "Why, what's that
over thereof he continued, eagerly
"DOn t, sergeant. ~ said Joe, wiping |
his brow; ''it ain t fair to make game of |
me. -
81 m not making game OF you. lad. |
Do you see anything over there!'' and |
the sergeant pointed straight ahead.
His men gathered around him, follow |
ing the direction of his finger with |
struinirg glances, aud, as it ls in the |
moonlight, becoming more puzzled aud |
confused the more they looked.
Its a root, said one.
tNo Ii ain 7; it bush.''
"Stow that, you fool, there was no |
bush there when We came; its some |
sneaking Zuiu-that's what il is.
land look, - said Denniug, 'there's |
something TO the right. and blow me if |
there's not & dark mass right behind. -
$50 there is,'' said the sergeant, |
''nnd it's coming At q quick rate.
a dark mass, with q front of about |
FIVE hundred yards. was rapidly bearing
down upon the men, and the moaning OF
the wind seemed TO bring IN their ears
the sound of approaching steps.
''We'll give 'em a voliey first. men,, -
said the sergeant. grimly. ''That Will
warm the camp, aud maybe drop q
couple of 'em.
The rifles were brought TO the ready.