The Boers in the laager were awake at last, the sound of the gun and thewar-cry of the Zulus had reached them faintly. Half-clad, men and womentogether, they stood upon their waggon-boxes looking towards the west.Behind them the pencils of daylight were creeping across the sky, andpresently in their low rays they saw such a sight as they would neversee again. Fast, fast towards them thundered a great roan horse,blood dripping from his chest, and jaws, and flank, and on its back ayellow-bearded man, in whose shoulder stood a spear, and who held infront of him a fainting woman.
"Soon he will fall suddenly, and we shall be crushed," thought Ralph,and had the horse died while travelling at that speed it must have beenso. But he did not. When within fifty yards of the laager suddenlyhe began to lurch and roll in his stride; then with three bounds hestopped, and standing still, looked round with piteous blood-shot eyes,and whinnied faintly as though he heard some voice that he knew andloved.
Ralph slipped from his back, dragging Suzanne after him, and watched.
For a moment the _schimmel_ stood, his head touching the ground, tillpresently a bloody foam came upon his mouth, and blood poured from hiseyes and ears. Now for the last time he arched his neck and shook hismane, then roaring straight up on his hind legs as he had done when hebeat down the Zulus, he pawed the air with his fore feet and fell overupon his back to move no more.
Suzanne had fainted, and Ralph carried her to the camp. There they drewout the spear from his shoulder and tended them both, though beyondgasping the words "Prepare, for the Zulus are upon you," it was longbefore either of them could speak.