The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-10-03


terrible effect.
Many of their men fell, but though
we checked, We could not stop them.
They closed up and rushed the first
fcrtification, killing a good number OF
it's defenders.
1t was almost all cold steel Work
now for we had no time to reload. and
that suited the BuGana habits OF
fighting we'll enough. for the stabblng
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 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 NEIL
tally lamenting my hard fate, and re-
tiecting on my sins, I fought away
like a fiend.
1t was then. I remember, that / shot
my friend the captain of our escort OF
the previous day.
He had caught sight of me, and,
making a vicious dig at my stomach
with a spear (Which I successfully
dodged). shouted out. or rather began
to shout out, one of bis unpleasant al
lusions to the Thing that"
He never got as far as "bites," be-
cause 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:
Lock at the mountain" they cried;
''there is an Impi on the mountain
side"
l glanced up, and there. sure enough,
about halfway down the mountain,
nearing the first fortifcation, 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 food,
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 "in 1ower,' as
they put it-and so advanced at once
without waiting 10 light fires.
Meanwhile they had been observed
from the town. and parties of soldiers
were charging up the steep side Of
the hill to occupy the schanses and the
second line of Notifications 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 70 twen-
ty men, and soon began to open fire
from them and from isolated rocks.
1 turned my eyes to the gates of the
town, which were placed to the north
and south.
Already they Cere crowded with hun
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 q 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 We're too sorely wounded to
escape.
1 felt inclined to calculate, Saved"
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 l sent men with the cooking
pots to the stream for water, and we
drank.
This done. I set my bearers, rs being
the most useless part of the community
from fighting point of view, to the
task of attending the injured, and
turned to watch the fray.
BY this time Nala's Impi had climbed
the first line of fortificat tions without
opposition and was advancing in q
long line upon the schcnses or pits
which were scattered about between it
and the second line, singing war
chant as it came.
Presently puffs Of smoke began to
start from the schanses. and with my
glasses could see several of our neil
falling over.
Then. as it came opposite a schanse
that portion of the long line of war
riors would thicken up and charge il
with q wild TuSL.