The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-03

made, and by means of which the wound
| ed had been removed and the fighters
| had withdrawn. excepting Railton and the
| soldier. AT their very heels the Zulus
| went, but the hole was swiftly plugged
| by bodies, and, unable to force an en-
| trance through it, the foe ceased opera
| tons for the time, but there was light
| enough to show what was passing in the
! room.
BY the flashes of the powder they saw
| Railton sink upon the floor. and then
| crawl into a corner, as . wounded animal
! might crawl They saw him stretch him
] self YEARLY alonside a sick man on Il
! mattress. and when Barran, with a heavy
| heart kneeled by his side and looked i'm
| ploringly at him. his eyes-they had sud-
denly become very gentle again-closed.
/ Its all over with him., Barran seid.
| rising and Joining Howard. He spoke in
| choked tones, for the memory of his
| ungenerouS words before the fight began
! was strong upon him.
| Howard made no answer, but turned
! away, and with set purpose of killing as
many of the Zulns az he could. nred re-
! veDgefully at any dusky form which fit
| ted past his view.
But the back of the conflict chad been by
this time broken. From that hour the
impis made no fresh attempt TO rush
Some part of the main building was de-
strOyed, and still smoidering and cracked
in the darkness at times breaking into
weak flame and dying out in smoke; but
the portion where the defenders had
sought refuge was intact. and so they
held their own through the rest of that
appalling night.
When the dawn broke the Zulus slowly
drew away. beaten. sullen horde taking
their wounded with them. and leaving
mounds of dead to testify to their own
Valour and the courage of the men who
had for such long hours, against such
long odds. fought behind the grain-bags
and the boxes.
While the morning was yet young the
General marched to the relief, and Bis-.
ran. saluting stiftiy with a useless arm,
made known in brief and military fashion
that he had Obeyed the command of his
superior officer. He had held the Drift.
The butchery of the Little Hand was in
some degree atoned for. and the British
Colony was safe.
As he made his statement Thring him
self cripple. fastened up with less of
ceremony thar the presence of the Cen
eral demanded. and announced that Rail-
ton lived. and excepting the fact that he
would have to go through life with one
arm, many scars, and slender pension,
would do well.
The dead were still unburied near the
Little Hand-,hey were left unsodded for
four months. and not even the vultures
touched then-when Ration. who
much swathed and bound was told by
Barran. with the help OF Howard and
professional aid from Thring. that he was
included in batch of men who had be
come N.C.'s, because of what they had
done to keep the Drift
The Assistant CoTnmissary was again a
mild, gentle, slender little man. with more
of greyness in his beard and hair than
one had seen before they held the Drift
After ALL he remarked, grayely, I've
done nothing more than any other soldier
did. At any rate, did nothing to deserve
the Cross. / opened the ball. but didn't
see it through
Not deserve it, echoed Barran. Why
man. If you got what you're entitled to-
you'd have bars enough ON your Cross 10
make ladder from your chest to your
feet--Walter Wood in the Standard Nag
aziue.