Perils in the Transvaal and Zululand

some other corps. Riversand Margetts proceeded to Dykeman's Hollow, where they learned that MrRogers was still detained in England by business connected with Capepolitics. He had written, however, to George, of course in ignorance ofUmbelini's raid and the disastrous issue of the invasion of Zululand,and George proceeded to carry out his instructions, as far as he wasable. All the waggons and farm stock had been brought back, and nearlyall the native servants had returned to their work. George commencedhis duties as a Sunday school teacher, and though he felt somewhatstrange and awkward in the discharge of them, he was not on the wholedissatisfied. His house was convenient enough, though curiouslydifferent in many respects from an English house. There was room enoughfor Redgy to be lodged in it also; and George took upon himself toengage him as an assistant at the farm, until he could hear from MrRogers, to whom he had written on the subject. The two young men hadagreed that, although the present delay was extremely inconvenient tothem,--Redgy being anxious to find some settled work, and George to setout in search of his mother,--their honour was pledged to accompany theBritish troops in accomplishing the overthrow of Cetewayo, and they mustpersevere. George had written to his mother, and a trader going up thecountry had promised to deliver his letter. But the weeks and monthswent by, and no reply was received, and he could not but be aware howslight the likelihood was that his letter had reached its destination.

  The delay was equally embarrassing to Henryk Yander Heyden. He was notonly weary of the enforced inactivity and anxious to set in order hisnew home, but his relations with his sister distressed him. He andAnnchen had removed to Newcastle, to which town such of his goods andpossessions as had escaped destruction at the hands of Umbelini had beenconveyed. There he had found a tolerably comfortable abode, but therewas nothing to employ his time, and inaction was particularly trying tohim. If he had not felt himself bound by the vow he had made not to laydown his arms until Cetewayo had been deposed or slain, he would haveset out for Zeerust without further concerning himself in the war. Buthe was a man who, when he had once taken a determination, persisted init till the last. And when day after day passed, and the Englishtroops, for reasons which it seemed impossible to understand, stilldelayed their march into Zululand, he only chafed and fretted, and madehis comments on the English commander-in-chief in terms which wereperhaps just, but not flattering.

  As for Annchen, the present period of inactivity was even more trying toher. She had mourned sincerely for the loss of Frank Moritz, of whosegood qualities she had been fully sensible. But along with this therewas a sense of relief; for which she reproached herself, perhaps tooseverely. She had never been in love with him, in the real sense ofthat expression; and as time went on, the conviction stole upon her thatshe _was_ falling in love, if she had not already done so, with some oneelse. The scenes during the wreck had brought Rivers before her in avery striking light; and she could not but be sensible (though nothingcould be more respectful and reserved than his demeanour) of hisdevotion to herself. She saw that it was her brother's opposition alonewhich prevented his coming forward, and she rebelled against herbrother's prejudices as unreasonable and even ungrateful. The mutualembarrassment that had for some time been felt increased during herresidence at Newcastle. It was the nearest town of any size toDykeman's Hollow, and George, who had temporarily assumed the managementof Mr Rogers' property, had continual occasions of riding in thither onmatters of business. Sometimes they met in the street and exchangedgreetings, and some conversation passed. Sometimes it was the brotherhe encountered, and Vander Heyden was always cordial and courteous,though he never spoke of his sister or invited Rivers to his house.Considering that George must necessarily need refreshment after his longride, and the hospitable habits of the Dutch, Annchen could not but feelthat this was ungracious and marked. Once or twice she tried to expressthis to him, but stammered and hesitated so much over it that she wasobliged to desist. If Vander Heyden had known much of feminine nature,he would have been aware that, if he wished to check the growth of anattachment on his sister's part for Rivers, he was taking the mostlikely means possible of defeating his object.

  At last, one day about the middle of June, Henryk encountered his friendin the street at Newcastle, with an expression on his face which hadlong been absent from it.

  "We are summoned to headquarters," he said, "at last. The march toUlundi is to begin immediately. We are to set off to-morrow. We are toadvance to Luneberg, where a junction will be effected with Sir EvelynWood; and then the whole army will proceed to Ulundi for what will be, Itrust, the final struggle."

  On the following morning, accordingly, the three adventurers set forth,and on reaching Lord Chelmsford's quarters, found Hardy already there.The three Baylens and Matamo, remained at Horner's Kraal, though thefarmer adhered to the promise he had given of lending them Matamo fortheir expedition across the Transvaal.

  In a few days more the march began. George was interested and almostamused at noticing the extreme caution which was now observed insecuring the troops against the attacks of the enemy. Whenever any spotwas approached where a ledge of rocks or a wooded hillside might affordprotection to an assailing force, scouts were always sent forward tomake the most careful examination of it. Immediately after a halt, thecamps were always strongly fortified, and even surrounded by lines ofgalvanised wire, which the soldiers humorously called "Cetewayocatchers." The heliograph, too, was invariably set up, by whichmessages in cases of emergency could be despatched. The change fromreckless indifference to danger, and unbounded contempt for the enemy,to the most extreme and jealous caution, was curious to notice.

  On the 3rd of July, as the reader has heard, the English force hadapproached so near to Ulundi that an action was evidently imminent. Thebroad, open plain which extends between Nodwengu and Ulundi seemed tohave been chosen by mutual consent to determine what might be called thedecisive encounter between civilisation and barbarism. On the dayfollowing the conversation between George and his friends, the Englisharmy formed in square and marched on the royal kraal. It was an unusualorder for a march, but one which rendered a surprise impossible. Theinfantry formed all four sides of a square; the cavalry, mountedinfantry, and volunteers protected the front and flanks; the Basutoscovered the rear. The cannon were placed at the angles; the ammunitionand waggons in the centre.

  The march proceeded past the green tomb of King Panda already mentioned,steadily moving onwards towards Ulundi. Presently there was visible inthe distance a vast array of oval-shaped shields, above which rosemultitudes of feathered head-dresses and the blades of glitteringassegays, where the interminable host of Cetewayo's warriors wereadvancing to commence the battle.

  The order was now given to halt, the ranks were formed in close order,four deep,--the two in front kneeling as though to repel a charge ofcavalry, and the two behind firing steadily over their heads.

  "They mean it," exclaimed George to Redgy, as they sat side by side ontheir horses, watching the movements of the enemy; "Ginghilovo hasn'tfrightened them after all."

  "No," said Hardy, who was next to George on his other side. "I don'texpect that any of these fellows were there, and it isn't an easy matterto cow them at any time."

  "And look what multitudes of them there are!" said Redgy; "the wholeplain seems full of them. They outnumber us, four or five to one, Ishould say."

  "Quite," assented Hardy. "But if there were forty to one, it would notaffect the result, if our fellows stand firm. It is impossible for themto approach the line of fire."

  "They don't think so, though," observed Redgy. "Here they come."

  As he spoke the dark columns were seen moving forward, the men advancingwith a kind of springing step, holding their shields before them ontheir left arms. After firing their carbines, they did not stop toreload, but pressed forward, brandishing their assegays in their righthands. A stern silence was observed in the British line until they werewithin rifle fire. Then the word was given, and the fusillade began.The ef
fect was terrific. The Gatling guns opened whole lanes in theadvancing masses, and the leaden storm from the rifles struck downhundreds at every discharge. The ground was almost instantly heapedwith bodies, so that the rearward file had to struggle over the piles ofslain. They continued, however, to press forward with fierce shouts andundaunted valour to inevitable death, though the fire only grew heavieras they struggled nearer to it.

  "What splendid fellows!" said George admiringly; "it really seems ashame to massacre them after this fashion, though no doubt there is nohelp for it."

  "They are stopping now, though," said Hardy. "They have advanced nearerthan any other troops in the world would, I think, have done, but theyare wavering and recoiling now. Ha! there is the signal to charge," headded, as the