their meal in a somewhat dissatisfied humour. Theywere terribly tired of their long inaction, and it did not look asthough matters were going to be any more expeditious as regarded thefuture. They had been more than ten days going five or six miles, andthe waggon tracks, it was said, were to be no better. At this rate,when would they reach Ulundi? Not, at all events, until long after theother two columns under Evelyn Wood and Colonel Pearson had come intocontact with the main force of the enemy, and probably reaped all thelaurels that were to be gained. They were rejoiced when they wereinformed that Lord Chelmsford meant to send a force to reconnoitre onthe following morning, and Ernest Baylen and Moritz were to accompanyit.
"I envy you fellows," said Hardy. "Dartnell, who is to lead you, is asmart officer, and by all accounts the Zulus are mustering pretty thickin the neighbourhood, so that you will run the chance of some sharpfighting."
"Lonsdale is to make a reconnaissance with the Natal force in the samedirection, I am told," said Ernest; "and Lord Chelmsford also means totake a party out, they say. There will be plenty of fighting to-morrow,I expect."
"Won't the withdrawal of all these detachments leave us rather a smallforce to defend the camp with?" suggested George.
"Oh, they will fortify it, of course, the first thing to-morrow," saidHardy. "I rather wondered that something of the kind wasn't done lastnight, seeing that the enemy are in force near us. But the men werevery tired, and it was too dark to do much. But no doubt they willlaager the waggons and throw up breastworks as soon as it is light."
With the break of day, Moritz and Ernest, attended by Matamo, rode offwith Major Dartnell's force. And not long afterwards the Natal troopsfollowed, taking the road, as they afterwards learnt, to Matejan's Kraaland Malatoko hill. But after this no further movement occurred duringthe day. The men busied themselves with the routine of camp duty, orwere gathered in groups, talking, and smoking, and playing games. Thescene was romantic and lively. In the foreground were the whitebell-tents, making a forcible contrast to the scarlet of the uniformsscattered about; farther off were the waggons belonging to the differentcorps, each remaining in the place where it had been unpacked; and inthe background was the wild uncultivated landscape--forest, and mountainridge, and sandy ravine, and rocky boulder, mingled together inpicturesque disorder.
"They don't seem inclined to fulfil your prediction," observed George toHardy on the following morning, as they sat upon a large stone under theshadow of the great Isandhlwana hill. "No order seems to have beengiven for fortifying the camp. Look, there's Colonel Pulleine, who isnow in command, and has been so since Lord Chelmsford and Colonel Glynleft. He is reading some letters, or papers of some kind. He does notseem to have an idea that the camp wants fortifying."
"He ought to know best," said Hardy, "and for the matter of that, Isuppose he must have had the general's orders about it. And he, and wealso, have nothing to do but to obey. All I can say is, that if thecamp were to be attacked by any large force, as things now are, I don'tsee how it could be defended. What is there to stop the Zulus? The menmight, of course, form into a square, if they had time to do it, withthe ammunition in the middle; and as long as powder and shot lasted, Idon't suppose the Zulus could break in. But look at them, scattered upand down and everywhere. Suppose there came a sudden rush of theseblack fellows from under cover, what time would the men have to form andcollect the ammunition? The niggers might pour in by hundreds and bythousands, and cut our fellows up into small bodies, which might bedestroyed in detail."
"It looks so, certainly," said George; "but our officers are men wellused to campaigning, and, what is more, to campaigns with the natives.They can't have overlooked this, unless they knew that there was norisk."
"Well, all I can say is, no commanding officer under whom I have servedbefore ever left a camp undefended, as this is," rejoined Hardy.
"Here comes Colonel Durnford," said George, as a fine soldierly-lookingman rode up, attended by a force of mounted Basutos. "I knew he wasexpected about this time. He is senior to Colonel Pulleine; I daresayhe will order the camp to be fortified. I suppose it would not be avery long job, would it?"
"No, not to put it into such a state as would be sufficient to repel anattack of these Zulus," assented Hardy. "Look at those waggons yonder.The oxen are already inspanned. If they were simply drawn together in acircle, the infantry and the ammunition collected and placed inside, theZulus couldn't force their way in against one-half of the numbers thatwe have here. No, not if Cetewayo sent his whole army. Of course theymight pillage the rest of the camp, and drive off the oxen. But theycouldn't get inside,--not in a week,--and they would probably losethousands in making the attempt. Look at those two guns there, too! Ifthey were drawn in front of the waggons, they would shoot down anyattacking force--whole heaps of men at every discharge. And theycouldn't be taken under the fire of the laager. See there, ColonelDumford is giving some orders. I hope he sees the danger, and is goingto take some precautions against it. Let us move up nearer."
On approaching the spot, however, they found the colonel's thoughts wereotherwise occupied. News had just come in that the Zulus wereretreating in all directions, and would escape unhurt if they were notpursued. The colonel therefore was on the point of going after them,accompanied by his mounted Basutos and the rocket battery which he hadbrought with him, leaving the camp once more under Colonel Pulleine'scommand.
"I don't like it," said Hardy when this was reported to him. "I don'tsee what there has been to make these Zulus retreat. It is certain thatthey are in great force, and they can hardly be said to have beenattacked. I hope this retreat is not a mere feint to draw more men outof the camp. I suppose, however, Lord Chelmsford must be returning toit, and Colonel Durnford knows that he is close at hand."
As he spoke, Colonel Durnford and his Basutos went past at a rapid pace,the rocket battery, under Captain Russell, following.
For some time after his departure there was no further movement in thecamp. But presently the idea spread, and gained ground, that an attackfrom a large force of the enemy was to be looked for. The six companiesof the 24th were drawn up--three of them in extended order on the leftfront, where the principal attack might be looked for, two more on theside where the waggons were posted, while one company (that of CaptainYounghusband) was held in reserve. Close to the companies the artillerywas stationed, and a little farther off a detachment of the NativeContingent.
About one o'clock heavy firing all round announced the approach of thestruggle, and presently the Basutos, who had encountered an overwhelmingforce of the enemy, were seen falling back on all sides, pursued bylarge bodies of Zulus, who came rolling like a sable wave over the crestof the opposite hill. As soon as they came in sight, the artilleryopened upon them, mowing them down with terrible havoc. But theycontinued to advance, hesitating now and then when the fire from theguns came among them, then rushing on more resolutely than ever.Presently they came near enough for the fire of the 24th to open, andthis for the time checked their advance. Desperate as the courage ofthe blacks was, they could not face the storm of lead thus showered uponthem.
"They won't stand this very long, Rivers," said Hardy, as they watchedthe battle from the flank, on which the volunteers were stationed."They have wonderful pluck, certainly; but, unless the ammunition fails,it is impossible they can approach nearer. Even now I see signs ofwavering among them. We shall soon be at their heels, I expect.Merciful Heaven!" he exclaimed a moment afterwards in an altered voice,as, chancing to turn round, he caught sight of some object behind him."The Zulus have got into our rear! It is all over with us!"
Rivers glanced round, and a thrill of dismay shot through him, as hebeheld the head of a Zulu column making its way round the precipitoushill in the rear of the camp, and pouring on in large andever-increasing volumes to attack the English from behind. At the samemoment the assailing force in front caught sight of their countrymen,and rushed forward with redoubled fury. Struck w
ith terror, the nativecontingent broke its ranks and fled, leaving a wide gap in the fightingline, through which the black warriors burst like a raging torrent, andthe whole camp in a moment became a scene of wild confusion. Thevarious groups of white soldiers were cut off from their ammunition andfrom one another, presenting the appearance of an island here and there,encompassed by the overwhelming flood of the enemy. A fierce rushcarried the guns, which had hitherto inflicted such deadly loss on theirhost. A desperate attempt was made by those in charge of them to forcetheir way through the enemy. But the gunners were assegayed on thelimbers, and the drivers in their seats. One gun was upset, the otherwas dragged off by the wounded horses. All was confusion,