Part 9 (1/2)

The i off in the distance to right and to left, leaving in its place thatforward upon this dooh to defy their wrath

”Ho, Tauane! young lion!” I shouted, as the chief passed close beneath

”Yonder is the lion whose roar is the loudest Go, tell hiers”

The chief heard, but made no answer as he hurried away, and we could see hi their warriors in battle array And, indeed, theymore numerous than our own, and as well armed But who can withstand the rush of the Zulu lion?

Froh position we could take in the whole of that battle

Battle, did I say? It can hardly be called a battle In spite of the dense and well-ar the on at a swift but steady run, covered with their great shi+elds, their heads bent slightly forward, their eyes glaring like red coals, the air thrilling with their fierce histle or hiss, as it really was, the aspect of the King's host was so terrific that the Bakoni, for all their nu of flight But no time was allowed them even for this Our people were upon them The crash of shi+elds was as the thunder of the stor the shore Whole lines went down, and, pouring over the delayed not a moment The Bakoni could not stand a second tiht roll up a newly-stripped hide With wild, shrill shrieks of despair they turned and fled headlong

Then the roar that went up from the ranks of our warriors was as the roar of an army of lions Fleet-footed, they pressed on the disorderedthe their own order of battle The panic which had seized upon the Bakoni was cohtered like stricken sheep, and over the ever, slaying and slaying--showing no 's mercy with scorn and insult The day of mercy was now past

CHAPTER NINE

THE LIVING BRIDGE

We waited no longer, Mgwali and I We leaped fro's war-cry We had to dash through the glowing ring of ashes which still se, but if it burnt us we knew it not, for ere not in the mind to feel hurts But, as we dashed forth, black and terrible, to take our share in the slaughter, we found ourselves in the thick of the flying Bakoni

In the very midst of them ere, hemmed in so close that, we had but to move our hands, and with each thrust a ai is placed behind his shoulder, and in thisaround us At first they saw nothing, looking neither to the one side nor the other, as they fled, their heads stretched out before theht in a, they shrieked aloud in their terror, fleeing evenbut tere carried along in this flying rout--killing, killing, till ell nigh weary Never a weapon was raised against us; no resistance even did they attereat was the fear which was upon thewali and I slew and slew, and laughed aloud

We had gained the further edge of the town, and noe thought it tiet out of the crowd and rejoin our people So orked our way clear without difficulty and turned our faces toward our approaching countryreatfor their lives We sprang forth toour shrill histles, but these valiant warriors, seeing Zulu shi+elds thus suddenly in front of the, strove to flee back the way they had coainst the them on; yet the fear of the enemy they had seen in front--for they could not have noticed that ere but tas so great that they would not advance, and the whole of that ar, cru which way to run At last, turning off froinal course, they streahing as we had never laughed in our lives

But they had not far to run, for the further ”horn” of our ar round here, and blindly they rushed upon the lines of Zulu spears, even as they had intended, but a brief while back, we should rush upon theirs A half-circle of tufted shi+elds, and of blades now reddened and reeking, he histle _Whau! Nkose_! before a man could have counted fifty, there was not one of those Bakoni left alive Then a hter arose froht these dogs had devoured thee

And, thou, Mgwali! Ha! we have been paying the!”

Thus claht hand, my weapons dropped upon the corpses of the slain Bakoni, and I cried aloud the _Bayete_; for I saw that I was standing in the presence of the King

Umzilikazi was on horseback He had led the first onset in person; but, finding hat a craven and cowardly foe he had to deal, he had dropped back in disgust, ordering his children to stamp out the lot, save such as it was customary to spare

”Welcoht you dead--that these cowardly dogs had slain him whom I had sent as my voice Yet here youhundreds of armed men before you like so s that we still live, O Great Great One, for they have killed our slaves, and rushed upon us to kill us, but we fought our way to yonder wall, whence we defied their whole nation

Then they heaped fire around to burn us out Behold, Elephant, it is still slance rested upon the stone-wall, and a flash of eager interest lit up his eyes

”Ha! I have an idea!” he cried ”It is good Go now a your shi+elds, son of Ntelani They wait to welcohed athailedthe ranks, for I ell liked by the fighting er ones, and none had expected ever to behold ain I joined for a moment in counsel with Kalipe, and then we surrounded the town We fired the huts, and the flaave forth so great a heat that we could hardly endure to rean to spread, there caures, thick and fast--men, women, and children; all such as had not been able to escape to the fortified hill, which Tauane had so proudly pointed out toof blades

They were slain, speared through again and again, and flung back into the flairls who seeh for captives; yet even of these not many were spared, for our people ”saw red,” _Nkose_, as the custo, and at such tihtered

Besides, ere doubly exasperated against these, who had dared offer violence to the King's ambassadors, and mercy was a fire of which no spark was kindled in any of our breasts that day