The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-11-27

Il
.'Firev' l cried; and we did, will
terrible effect.
Many of their men fell, but though
we checked, we could not stop them.
They. closed up and rushed the first
fertilization, killing good number OF
its defenders.
1t was almost all cold steel work
now. for we had no time to reload. and
that suited the Buiiana habits OF
fighting well enough, for the stabbing
| assegai was weapon which they un-
derstood.
Those Of our people who escaped
from the first line of walls took refuge
in the second, where l stood myself, en-
couraging them, and here the fight
ragged fiercely.
Occasionally parties Of the enemy
would force a passage. only to perish
on the hither side beneath the Butiana
spears.
But still they kept it up, and saw
that, fight as we would, we were
doomed.
/ We were altogether outnumbered,
and, to make matters worse, fresh
bodies Of soldiers were pouring across
the plain to the assistance of our as
sailants.
! So / made up my mind to direct a
retreat into the caves, and there ex-
/ pire in manner as heroic as circum-
stances would allow, and while men
tally lamenting my hard fate, and re-
fiecting on my sins, I fought away
like a fiend.
It was then, remember, that | shot
my friend the captain Of our escort of
the previous day.
He had caught sight Of me, and
making vicious dig at my stomach
with a spear (Which l successfully
dodged), shouted out, or rather began
to shout out, one Of his unpleasant al
lusions to the tThing that"
He never got as far as ''bites," be-
cause l shot him after that"
Well the game was up.
Already saw one man throw down
/ his spear in token of surrender-which
act of cowardice cost him his life,
when suddenly a shout arose:
"Look at the mountain they cried;
there is an Impi on the mountain
side"
glanced up, and there. sure enough,
about halfway down the mountain,
nearing the first fertilization, the long
plumed double line of Nala's warriors
were rushing down to battle, the bright
light Of morning glancing on their
spears
Afterward we discovered that the
reason of their delay was that they
had been stopped by river in flood,
and could not reach the mountain crest
by dawn.
When they did reach it. however,
they instantly saw that he fight was
already going on-was Tin flower" as
they put it-and so advanced at once
without waiting TO light fires.
Meanwhile they had been observed
from the town, and parties of soldiers
We're charging up the steep side of
the hill to occupy the schanses and the
second line of fortifcations behind
them.
The first line they did not attempt
to reach or defend; Nala pressed them
too close.
But they got to the schanses or pits
protected with stone walls, and con-
structed to hold from dozen to TWEEN
ty men, and soon began TO open fire
from them and from isolated rocks.
l turned my eyes to the gates Of the
town, which were placed to the north
and south.
Already they were crowded with hum
dreds of fugitive women and children,
fleeing to the rocks and caves for shell
ter from the foe.
AS for ourselves, the appearance of
Nala's Impi produced a wonderful
change for the better in our position
The soldiers attacking us, realizing
that the town was being assailed from
the rear, simply turned, and Chamber
ing down the koppie, streamed off TO
protect their homes against this new
enemy.
In five minutes there was not a man
left except those who would move no
more or were too sorely wounded to
escape.
ACAJ 4uS4AAcQ " tjdCUldtcg foHgEut
like the gentleman in the play, but did
not. because the occasion was too
serious.
What I did was to muster all the
men and reckon up our losses.
They amounted to fifty-one killed and
wounded. sixteen men having been
killed outright
Then / sent men with the cooking
pots to the stream for water, and we
drank.
This done, set my bearers, as being
the most useless part of the community
from lighting point of view, to the
task of attending the injured, and
turned to watch the fray.
BY this time NaIa's Impi had climbed
the first line Of Notifications without
opposition and was advancing in a
long line upon the schanses or pits
which were scattered about between it
and the second line, singing a war
chant as it came.
| Presently puffs Of smoke began to
start from the sehanses, and with my
/ glasses + could see several of our men
falling over.
Then, as It came opposite schanse.
thai portion Of the long line Of war
riors would thicken up and charge ii
with Wild rush.
could clearly see them leap on TO