The sun., 1896-01-26

corpse back into the wnter which carried IL
swiftly away. Then she returned TO the tree,
| having first rcplcnished the fire, and awaited
the light
| At last II came. as much OF It as ever pene-
| tratcd this darksome dcn ana Nanea becoming
aware that she was hungry. descended from the
tree to search for food. All day long she
searched. finding nothing. till toward sunset she
remembered that on the outskirts OF the forest
| thero was fiat rock whsrc II wns the custom OF
those who had been in any way afflicted. or who
considered themselves or their belongings to be
| bewitched. to place prop!tiatory offerings OF
food whcrewith the EsCmkof't and the amdlhost
were supposed 10 satisfy their spiritual cravings.
Urged by the pinch OF starvation TO this spot
she iourneved rapidly. and found to her Joy that
some neighboring kraal had evidently been in
recent trouble. for the Rock OF Offering was
linden with cobs OF corn. Rourds OF milk. por-
ridge, and even meat. Helping herself to as
much as she could carry. she returned to her
lair, where she drank OF the milk and cooked
meat and mealies at the fire. Then she crept
back into the tree md slept.
For nearly two months Nanea lived thus in
the forest. since she dared not venture out Of 1t,
fearing lest she should he seized and for a sec
ond time taste OF the judgment of the King. In
the forest at least she was SAFE for none dared
! enter there nor did the Essmhofu give her fur
ther trouble. Once or twice she saw them but
on each occasion they fed shreking from her
presence. seeking some distant retreat where
they hid themselves or perished. Nor did food
fail her for finding that It was taken the pous
| givers brought II in plenty to the Rock.
But, OH the life was dread full and the gloom
| and loneliness, coupled with her sorrows, Mt
| times drove her almost 10 insanity. Still she
lived on though often she desired to die. for tho
corpse she had found was not the corrse Of Ma
hoon, and in her heart there still shone that
| spark of hope; yet what she hoped for she could
| not tell.
| When Philip Hadden reached the civilized
| regions he found that war was about to be de-
| carcd between the Queen and Cetywayo. King
| OF the Amazulu; also that In the prevailing ex-
| citcment his little adventure with the Utrecht
| storek ecpcr had been overlooked or forgotten.
| He was the owner Of two good buck wagons with
! sp.ns OF saltcd oxen. and at that time vehicles
| were much in request to carry military stores
| for tho columns which were to advance into
Zuluiand; indeed. the transport authorities were
| Glad to pay 600 month for the hire OF each
wagon and to guarantee the owners against all
| loss OF cattle. Although he was not desirous OF
| returning to Zuluand, this bait proved too
| much for IIndden. who accordingly leased out
| his wagons to the Commissariat. together with
| his own services conductor and interpreter.
| He was attached to No. 3 column of the invad-
| ing force. which. It may be remembered, was
under the immediate command OF Lord Chelms
| ford, and the Goth Of January. 1879. he
marched with 1t by the road that runs from
Rorkes Drift to the Indeni forest. and en-
campcd that night beneath the shadow Of the
steep ard dcsrlats mountain IsandhlwanR.
That day also great army OF King Getty
wayo's. nun herng 10000 men and more. moved
down from the Cpindo Hill and camped upon
the stony plain TINT lies n mile and half to tho
east OF Isandhlwana. No fires were lit and It
lay there in utter silence, for the warriors were
sleeping on their spears"
With that impi was the Umctyu regiment,
3,5OO strong. At the first break OF dawn the
induna in command OF the Cmcitvu looked up
from beneath the shelter Of the black shield
with which he had covered hts body, and through
the thick mis-. he saw n great man standing be-
fore him. clothed only in a moocha. a gaunt,
wild-eyed man who held rough club in his
hand When he was spoken to the man made
no answer lie only leaned upon his club. look
Ing from left to right along the dense array Of
nnumernble shields.
"Who is this SIrdnd tw!ld creaturel?" asked
the Indunn OF his captains wondering.
The captains stared at the wanderer. and one
Of them answered. This is Nahoon- -Zomba.
| 1t ia the son OF Xomba. who not long ago held
rank In this regiment of the Umcityu. His
| betrothcd. Nanea. daughter OF Umgona was
| Black One. ana Nahoon went mad with grief at
the sight OF it. for tho fro OF Heaven entered his
brain. and mad he has wandered ever since"
| what would you here. Nahoon- ka- -Iomb ba Z"
asked the Induna.
Then Nahoon epoke slowly. My regiment
| goes down to war against the white men: give
me u shield and spear, o. Captain of the King.
that may fight with my regiment. for seek q
| face in battle"
/ ~. !, Itatl ,,l Snrt tl,o,
dared not turn away one whose brain was a!ight
with the fire OF Heaven.
| When the sun high that day bullets be-
gan to fall among the ranks OF the tmcityu.
Then the black-shieded. black plumed tmcityu
arose. company by company, and after them
arose tho whole vast Zulu army. breast and
horns together. ma swept down In silence upon
the doomed British CAMP n moving sheen of
spears. The bullets pattered or the shields, the
| shells tore long lines through their array, but
they never halted wavered. Forward on
| either side shot out the horns OF armed men.
ciasping the camp in embrace of steel.
| Then as these began to close. out bur rst the war
| cry of the Xrlus. and with the roar OF a torrent
| and the rush Of n storm, with a sound like the
| humming OF q billion bees wave after wave tho
deep breast OF the tmm rolled down upon the
white men. With 1t went the black-shielded
Umctyu and with them went Nahoon. the son
| OF /OInDu. a DulleL StTuCk MIN Ill tne blue,
glancng from his ribs he did not heed. white
man fell from his horse before him. he did not
stab for he sought but one face in tho battle.
He sought and Mt last he found II. There. among
the wagons where the spears we're busiest, thcre
standing By his horse and firing rcpidly was
Black Heart. he who had given Nanea. his be-
trothed, to death. Three soldiers stood between
them. one OF them Nahoon stabbed, and two he
brushed aside: then he rushed straight ut
IIaddcn.
But the white man saw him come. and even
through the mask of his madness he knew him
again. and terror took hold of him. Throwing
away his empty rifle, for his ammunition was
spent. he leaped upon his horse and drove his
spurs into its TANKS. Awayit went through the
carnage sprnging over tho dead and bursting
through the lines OF shields, and after it came
Nahoon. running long and low with head
stretched forward ana trailing spear. running
AS II hound runs when tho buck Ia at view.
lladdenS first plan wns to head for Rorke's
Drift, but n glance to the loft showed him that
the masses OF the Undi barred the way. 50 he
fled straight on. leaving his path to Fate. In
five minutes he was over ridge and there was