The record-union., 1895-08-17


Taken altogether by surprise they
halted for a moment, and seemed to wa
yer, then, encouraged by their leaders,
they poured in q scattered volley, and
throwing away their muskets, drew to-
gether for final charge; but quick and
sharp came the command, and blaze OF
fire sprang from the stock kade. rs the Mar
TINS poured in deadly hail upon their
ranks. The battle fever was upon them.
however, and undeterred, up they came,
eager to grapple with the hidden foe; but
1t was not to be.
Fierce and terrible as they were. more
fierce and terrible was the rain OF shot
which met them, and down they went,
dozens at time, writhing and bleeding,
biting at the long grass and clutchlng IL
in their death agonies. Still, so wild and
furious was their charge that they were
not twenty yards from the kraal when.
what was left of them, turned to lee; but
as they fled a great mocklng cry rose
from the plain, SO that some turned back
and met u warriors death on the blood
stained slope.
Cease firing" We could not afford to
waste a shot upon the fugitives, and yet
we had repulsed the first attack with but
one man killed and four slightly wound
ed, two Of them by assegeis. But down
in the plain they had gathered again for
the fight, and the roll of the war chant
from two thousand savage thrOats rose
upon the morning air. On they came,
pouring in two volleys, and rushing to
the charge, needless of the bullets which
tore through them. How could we hope
to stem such living torrent? In front
ran a tall warrior waving heavy knob
kerrle above his head ana cheering on his
followers. He seemed to bear charmed
life, for not a bullet reached him.
IA guinea to the man who pots the big
{ : - Id fIArr
were the last words for an assegai caught
him full in the throat; but as he fell a
heavy revolver bullet bowled over the
"big nigger," and he was tramDled un
der foot by his followers as they bounded
ownwards.
"Back, backr came the cry, and the
red coats retreated quickly behind the
second row OF stakes, followed by flight
of spears. AS l ran with the rest l felt a
sudden hot pain dart through my leg, and
next moment was lying between the pal
isades, pinned through the calf by an as
| segai. There | lay with some others who
! had fallen, waiting for death, for the
/ death that was coming swiftly up the
slope. l was strangely cool, save for the
! pain in my leg, which made me vince
! whenever | tried TO turn, and all the
/ while the bullets sang above my head as
they sweeping down the hill through and
/ over the outer paisades. Suddenly | saw
/ the outer barrier shake and splinter some
! twenty yards away, and next moment 1t
was down, and a great Zulu rushed
! through the opening in it, and paying no
| heed TO me, ran straight at the inner row
/ of stakes With a bound he was upon
them, but as he hung there l heard a
strange low laugh come from the kraal
and then above his black head the butt
! of rifle came into view. Next moment
| it descended, and the warrior. his head
/ split like pumpkin, fell backwards, just
as three other Zulus came rushing
through the gap. But roar which rose
! high above the din Of battle came from
! the kraal, and right through the inner
| barrier Gentleman Jerry burst his way, a
! clubbed rifle clenched in his great hands.
! He made straight for the three Zulus. and
| first one and then another went down
with their skulls battered out Of all shape.
while the third, little squat man, drew
/ back in terror. The mailman was bleed
! ing now from q couple OF assegai wounds;
! but l saw his eyes gleam with fury as the
! terrified warrior was jerked aside as if he
! had been a child, and in his place there
stood gigantic Zulu WbirlIng heavy
| knobkerrie in the air. 1t needed not his
plumed head and magnificent leopard
! skin kaross to proclaim him a chiet; it
was evident from his lofty bearing and
every movement of bis 1.-THE but giant
! frame. A crowd of Zulus were now at
the gap in the stockade. but they stood
there in awe, gazing at their chief ana the
strange white warrior.
From the kraal came the hoarse order,
keep on firing, lads" and the bullets
| still whistled and sang above me; but the
fire had slackened for the cartridges were
all but spent.
Crash! Knobkerrie and rifle-bu had
met, but away spun the former, while
| the Martini was Jerked out Of the mad
mans grasp. With cry Of triumph the
chief sprang forward and plunged bis
stabbing assegai into Jeremy's right
side. Next moment the madman had
plucked it out. and the next he had the
! Zulu in his terrible embrace. To and fro
the tall figures rock ed, and then. as l lay,
/ saw the chiefs eyes start from their
sockets and his face grow wild with lear
and pain. Then there came a cracking,
grinding sound, horrible 10 hear, and
Gentleman Jerry tossed the Zulu's s
crushed and mangled corpse from him,
and with great effort stood erect, The
! blood pouring from his mouth; then,
with cry, he threw up his arms and fell
beside his PROSTATE foe.
But even as he fell, and friendly arms
dragged me into the kraal. from the plain
below, bugle call rang out, nnd hearty
British cheer, followed by rattle OF car
! bines, brought Joy to us and carried dis
may to our batfled foes, who. as they fled,
were cut down in dozens by the cavalry
who had come so timely to our rescue.
When all was over and the kraal was
cleared, Gentleman Jerry was found ly-
| ing quiet and still, strange smile on his
| blood stained face, from which the mad
ness had gone forever. So we buried
him there with his comrades, by the old
kraal on the grassy slope, and there he
lies in that far off land, and his secret lies
buried with him.
Strangely enough, about a year after
wards | was looking over the ''agony"
column of the Times, when l came upon
the following:
~. T. (S-). My poor boy, it has all
been a sad mistake and vile plot. the
| letters were frauds. Come back. Tor
Gods sake. before it is too late"
Jeremy or not jeremy? that is the ques-
fiou Cha harSj T0nrnal