The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-08-15

earnerGd to Chant--tho awful war
chant of the Zulus. Soon | could catch
the words. They were simple enough.
eve shall slay, we shall s!ay. l. it not so, my
brothers?
Our spears shall blush blood rcd. Is it not so,
my brothers?
For we are the SucklingS OF Ch2l.a; blood Is
our milk, my brothers.
Awake children OF the UmtctH:., awake.
The vulture wheels, the iaclsa Snns the air;
Awake, children OF the Cmtct" cry aloud,
ye ringed mon:
There The foe; VIC sil. s!ay them. Is it
not so, my brothers!
Sgee! S'gee! S'gte'"
Such is rough translation OF that
hateful chant, which often hear to this
very day in my Dreams 1t does not
look particularly imposing on paper
but if the reader coald have heard 1t as
it rolled through th" still air from the
throats of nearly thrcc thousand war
riors, singing all to time, hc would have
found it impressive cnourh.
Now tho shields BEGAN 10 appear over
tho brow Of tho rise. They camo by
companies, each company about hun
drcd strong. Altogether there were
thirty-ono companies. counted them
When all wcrc ovcr they formed them
selves into iplc line, then trotted
down the slope toward us. At a dis
tanco of 4 hundred and fifty yards, OF
just out Of shot Of such guns IS wo had
in those days, they halted and began
singing again:
"Yondcr IL the !;raal of tho white man-a little
krlal my brothers;
We shall cat it up; wc S.iall tr:t!nplc it flct,
my brothers.
But whcrc i.ro the white mans c:ttlc-|ncfe
arc his oxcn my brothers,"
This question seemed to puzzle them
great deal, for they sang the song
again and again At last a herald came
forward-a great man with ivory rings
on his arm-ard, putting his hands to
his mouth, called to us asking where
our cattlo were.
Hans Botha climbed onto the top OF a
wagon and roarcd out that they might
answer that question themselves.
Then tho herald called again, saying
that he saw that the cattle had been
sent away.
1--WE shall 60 and find tho CATTLE" he
said; 'sthen 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 mcn!'
This struck me as q very odd speech,
for the Zulus generally attack an enemy
first and take his cattle afterwards;
still, there was certain amount OF
plausibility about it. While 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 spoo1
of the cattle, and the whole 1mpi OF
them started down it at run until they
vanished over rise about quarter of
mile away.
We waited for half an hour or more,
but nothing could We see of them.
'Now, wonder if the devils have
really gomez" said Hans Botha to me.
'It is very strange
II will 60 and see," said ndaba-zimbi,
eff you will come with me, Macumazahn.
We can creep to the top of the ridge and
look over"
At first I Aesixated, but curiosity
overcame me. I was young in those
days and weary with suspense.
So we started. I had ny elephant
gun and ammunition Indaba-zimbi had
his medicine bag and an assegai. We
~lvpG 70 the top of the rise like sports
men stall>fng 4 buck. The E+rr'rz--
other side was strcwn with rocks
among which grow bushes and tall
grass.
"They must have gone down the
DoDga," I said to Indaba-zimbi. Il
can't see one of theI1."
AS I spoke there came a roar of men
all round me. From every rock, from
every tuft of grass rose Zulu warrior.
Before 1 could turn, before could lift a
gun was seized an6 thrown.
Hold him! Hold the white spirit
fastw cried voice. Hold him or he
will slip away like snake. Don't hurt
him, but hold him fast. Let Indaba-
zimbi walk Uy hi; side
I turned on Indaba-zimbi. ''You black
devil, you have betrayed me-" I cried.
'Wait and see, Macumazahn," he an
swered, coolly. "Now the fight is going
to begin"