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

into the woodwork and the point buried it.
| self In Railton's shoulder as ne strained
| against the door to keep ii shut Howard
and Thring thrust with him. and they
! sound until help had come and the door
had been barricaded. Then he demanded
! in cheerful voice that Thring should
help him TO unlock himself. i1r
IT'S nothing he protested, but Thring
insisted upon doing something. In a rough
and ready way to stanch the bleeding.
Now, I'll stand here and guard the door
, while the wounded are got somewhere
else, said the Assistant Commissary.
, The niggers have left us for minute or
two; / can see them going"
Railton did not say that he saw them
collecting straw and wood to bring up and
set the hospital on fire. That bit of news
he thought would be better kept to him
self. He thrust his rifle barrel through
crack In the door. and fired
so steadily and truly that the
path was blocked with tributes to his pow
er. But fresh warriors came on, and as
darkness fell the first-fruits of the Zulus'
bravery were tasted by them. They had
set the hospital on fire, and as the flames
cracked and threw lurid light across
the plain they raised their cry of war
afresh.
ITS all over now. at any rate said
the senior subaltern. with grOan.
'ltll be the Little Hand again." added
Howard, He shuddered as he recalled
the fearful picture of the massacre which
had been driven from his recollection in
the turmoil of the fight
Never say die while there's a door and
wall between u.s., shouted Railton, OK
ultantly Shall l keep this doorway
else?'
Without awaiting leave of orders he be-
gan firing afresh, and when his rifle lar
rel became too hot for use he picked up
the weapon of a dead man near him and
fired the two alternately. He kept the
IN VIn, ~fa IL
moved in safety, then. as the flames were
licking the woodwork ana the roof was
on fire. and as the Zulus also We're heat
ing fiercely ut the door. he rushed across
the smoke-laden. choking room. and stag
gered into a doorway which led into am
other apartment.
Here men were working with bayonets
and butts of rifles. energetically as
rabbits burrowing In the earth, to make
a hole through the wall, for the enemy
We're sure within a few minutes to burst
into this place also. There was "a muir
derous beating at the door. Railton, with
stalwart private. was leaning against
II, as undaunted as ever. but feeling
weaker, for BY this time he had several
wounds upol Ills body. His shoulder
gave him MR. intense but he never
dreamed of crying out. He believed that
death must noE be met by all. Part of
the building was blazing, the blacks were
swarming, and, besides defending them
selves and the few rooms that still re-
manned to them. the soldiers had the care
and burden of the sick and wounded.
OF those who could crawl or walk most
got into the shelter of the neighboring
rooms and were guarded by their com
rades One or two. but not without en-
during agony, clambeicd out of windows
and dragged themselves to the long grass
outside the Drift, where they hid them
selves: others were butchered by the Zu-
LUIS, among them man who was crying
IN delirium.
From the doorway which they guarded
Railton and the private had to run and
wriggle through hole in the wall which
tie butts and bayonets had by this time