The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-01-26


who considered themselves or their be-
longings to be bewitched, to place pro-
pitiatory offerings of food wherewith
the Esemkofu and the Amalhosi were
supposed to satisfy their spiritual crav-
ings. Urged by the pinch of starvation
to this spot she journeyed rapidly, and
found to her joy that some neighboring
kraal had evidently been in recent
trouble, for the rock OF Offering was
laden with cobs of corn, gourds of
milk porridge, and even meat. Help
ing herself to as much as she could
carry, she returned to her lair, where
and mealies at the fire. Then she crept
back into the tree and slept.
For nearly two months Nanea lived
thus in the forest, since she dared not
venture out of ii, fearing lest she
should be seized and for a second time
taste of the judgment of the king. In
the forest at least she was safe, for
none dared enter there, nor did the
Esemkofu give her further trouble.
Once or twice she saw them, but on
each occasion they fed shrieking from
her presence, seeking some distant re-
treat where they hid themselves or per-
ished Nor did food fail her, for find
ing that it was taken the pious givers
brought it in plenty to the Rock of
Offering.
But, oh! the life was dreadful and the
gloom and loneliness, coupled with her
sorrows, at times drove her almost to
insanity. Still she lived on, though she
often desired to die, for the corpse she
had found was not the corpse of Ma
hoon, and in her heart there still shone
that spark Of hope; yet what she hoped
for she could not tell.
When Phi1iD Had6en reached the civ
ilized regions he found that war was
about to be declared between the queen
and CetyWayo, king of the Amazulu;
also that in the prevailing excitement
his little adventure with the Utrecht
storel2eeper had been overlooked or for
gotten. He was the owner of two good
buck wagons. with spans of sailed
oxen, and at times vehicles were much
in request to carry military stores for
the columns which were to advance in
to Zuzuland; indeed, the transport au-
thorities were glad to pay $50 month
for the hire of each wagon and guar
antee to the owners against all loss
of cattle. Although he was not de-
sirous of returning to Zuzuland, this
bait proved too much for MADDEN, who
accordingly leased out his wagons to
the commissariat, together with his
own services as conductor and inter-
prefer.
He was attached to No 8 column OF
the invading force, which, it may be re
n10fn bered, was under the immediate
command of Lord Chelmsford, and on
the 21st of January, 1879, he marched
with it by the road that runs from
Rorkes Drift to the Indeni forest, and
encamped that night beneath the shad-
ow of the steep and desolate mountain
known as Isandhlwana.
That day also a great army of King
CetyWayo's, numbering 10000 men AND
more, moved down from the Upindo
hill and camped upon the stony plain
that lies mile and a half to the 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 Umcityu reg
inernt, $500 strong. At the first break
of dawn the induna in command OF the
Umcityu looked up from beneath the
shelter of the black shield with which
he had covered his body, and through
the thick mist he saw great man
standing before him, clothed only IN
mocha, a gaunt, wild-eyed man, VINO
held rough club in his hand. When
he was spoken to the man made no
answer. He only leaned upon his club,
looking from left to right along the
dense array of innumerable shields.
"Who is this Silwana wild crea-
ture)?" asked the Induna OF his cap
tains wondering.
The captains stared at the wandereT
and one of them answered, This is Ma
-ka-zomba, it is the son OF Iomba,
who not long ago7held rank in this reg
iment of the Umcityu. His oetrotned
Nanea, daughter of Umgona, was killed
,,-i+I, "a har nv order of the
Black One, and Nahoon went mad with
grief at the sight of it, for the ire OF
heaven entered his brain, and MAD ne
has wandered ever since.
What would you here, Nahoon-Ra-
Zomba ?" asked the Induna.
Then Nahoon spoke slowly; My reg
iment goes down to war against the
white men; give me shield and
spear, oh, captain of the king, that !
may fight with my regiment. for
seek a face in battle.
So they gave him a shield and a
spear, for they dared not turn away
one whose brain was alight with the
fires of heaven.
When the sun was high that day
bullets began to fall among the ranks
of the Umcityu Then the black-shield-
ed, black-plumed Umcityu arose, COM
pany by company, and after them arose
the whole vast Zulu army, breast and
horns together, and swept down in 81
lence upon the doomed British camp, a
moving sheen of spears. The bullets
battered on the shields, the shells tore
long lines through their array, but they
never halted or wavered. Forward ON
either side shot out the horns of armed
men. clasping the camp in an embrace
of steel. Then as these began to close,
outbursts of the war cry of the Zulus,
and with the roar Of torrent and the
rush of a storm, with sound like the
hunnning of a billion bees, wave after
wave the deep breast of the impi rolled
down upon the white men. With 1t
went the black-shielded Umcityu, and
with them went Nahoon, the son of
Zomba. A bullet struck him in the
side, glancing from his ribs: he did
not heed; a white man fell from his
horse before him; he did not stab; for
he sought but one face in the battle.
He sought and at last he found it.
There, among the wagons where the
spears were busiest, there standing
by his horse and firing rapidly was
BLACK Heart, he who had given Nanea,
his betrothed, to death. Three soldiers
stood between them; one OF them Ma
hoon stabbed, and two he Brushed aside
then he rushed straight at MADDEN.
But the White man saw MN CoLle'
and even through the mask of his mad
ness 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 his TANKS. Away
it went through the carnage, springing
over the dead and bursting through
the lines of shields, and after it came
Nahoon, running long and low with
head stretched forward and trailing
spear, running as hound runs when