Part 29 (2/2)
”Because he is afraid, I suppose,” I answered, and went on watching
There was plenty to see, as it happened Finding that they were not pursued, Cetewayo's impi reformed swiftly at the botto that of Umbelazi, above theuess the ry shouting Then suddenly, froreat body of , which ran swiftly, but in open order, down the slope towards the Usutu, holding their spears reversed At first I thought that they were charging independently, till I saw the Usutu ranks open to receive them with a shout of welcome
”Treachery!” I said ”Who is it?”
”Saduko, with the Awane soldiers and others I know them by their head-dresses,” answered Maputa in a cold voice
”Do you one over to Ceteith all his following?” I asked excitedly
”What else, Macumazahn? Saduko is a traitor: Umbelazi is finished,” and he passed his hand swiftly across histhe Zulus
As for roaned, for now I understood everything
Presently the Usutu raised fierce, triuain their ian to advance up the slope
U to hiht thousand ht They broke! They fled in a hideous rout, crashi+ng through the thin, left horn of the Usutu bybehind us obliquely on their road to the banks of the Tugela A
”These are the words of Uht and O Maputa, Indhlovu-ene-sihlonti prays that you will hold back the Usutu, as the King bade you do in case of need, and so give to hi to hieneral, Saduko, has betrayed hiiainst the thousands of the Usutu”
”Go tell the prince that Macuiment will do their best,” answered Maputa calmly ”Still, this is our advice to hiela swiftly with the wo that we are few and Cetewayo is er leapt away, but, as I heard afterwards, he never found Umbelazi, since the poor man was killed within five hundred yards of where we stood
Then Maputa gave an order, and the Amawombe formed themselves into a triple line, thirteen hundred men in the first line, thirteen hundred men in the second line, and about a thousand in the third, behind ere the carrier boys, three or four hundred of thened toathered, that I should serve as a convenient rallying-point
In this formation we advanced a few hundred yards to our left, evidently with the object of interposing ourselves between the routed i Usutu, or, if the latter should elect to go round us, with that of threatening their flank Cetewayo's generals did not leave us long in doubt as to what they would do The ht in pursuit of the flying foe, but three regiments, each of about two thousand five hundred spears, halted Five minutes passed perhaps while they marshalled, with a distance of soiment was in a triple line like our own
Tothat it was probably my last on earth, I tried to uessed Strange to say, however, I found it impossible to keep ht to have been filled My eyes and thoughts would roam I looked at the ranks of the veteran Amawombe, and noted that they were still and solen of fear Indeed, I saw so their snuffboxes to each other Two grey-haired men also, who evidently were old friends, shook hands as people do who are parting before a journey, while two others discussed in a low voice the possibility of our wiping out most of the Usutu before iped out ourselves
”It depends,” said one of theether, as they will do if they are wise”
Then an officer bade theh the ranks giving orders to the captains Fro shi+eld held in front of it, looked like that of a huge black ant carrying so in its mouth He came to where Scowl and I sat upon our horses
”Ah! I see that you are ready, Macumazahn,” he said in a cheerful voice
”I told you that you should not go away hungry, did I not?”
”Maputa,” I said in remonstrance, ”what is the use of this? Umbelazi is defeated, you are not of his impi, why send all these”--and I waved o to the river and try to save the women and children?”
”Because we shall take many of those down into the darkness with us, Macumazahn,” and he pointed to the dense masses of the Usutu ”Yet,” he added, with a touch of compunction, ”this is not your quarrel You and your servant have horses Slip out, if you will, and gallop hard to the lower drift You et aith your lives”
Then my white man's pride came to my aid
”Nay,” I answered, ”I will not run while others stay to fight”
”I never thought you would, Maculy na their people The King's orders were that we should try to help U's orders by dying where we stand Macu felloho is shouting insults at us there? If so, I should be obliged to you, as I dislike hi about in front of the lines of the first of the Usutu regiments, about six hundred yards away