Part 31 (1/2)
”I feel sure you are right,” said Percy ”We itate her too on I'll tell you e ought to do We must pull across in the boat, and be ready to receive whoever is co It will be soest that you and Crawford, with four o down, and while you and he take the boat across, the others with their e, and keep the Zulus in check”
”I agree with you that is the best thing to be done,” said Rupert
”You're a soldier, every inch of you”
Percy was flattered at his brother's coestions, without showing the slightest tinge of jealousy
”In the et up the dummies, and post thereatest show possible”
”I advise that they be fixed a little way from the ramparts, so that we can pass in front of theh they should be placed where they can be seen by the enemy, it would be as well to conceal as much of them as possible, or their real character may be detected”
”Well, do you continue to keep a look-out,” said Rupert; ”and I will go down and carry out our proposed plan”
Rupert found Crawford and Mangaleesu on their ith soreatly the appearance of living people Mangaleesu's were decidedly the best, his figures ad Kaffir warriors in various attitudes, prepared for battle
Under Percy's and Rupert's directions they were placed as had been proposed
”But we ought to be going down to the boat,” cried Rupert; and he summoned the men he had collected ”Percy, you fire athe river, who may be shut out fro in the distance; then we shall kno to act Co at full speed, as they were convinced that there was no ti the bank of the river, they could see farther up the stream than they could fro to catch sight of the Zulus who had gone to the northward They were still visible as theythe trees By this he knew that if his father was co hi them, he heard the shouts of the Hottentot drivers and the crack of their whips, and he had the satisfaction of seeing the waggon approaching, the poor oxen covered with foa at a speed at which they had probably never before on drove over the drawbridge into the farreatly to the satisfaction of Percy, both on account of the drivers, who, had they been overtaken, would have run a great risk of losing their lives, and of the store ofin
Rupert and his party lost no ti the boat As yet, as he looked to the north, he could see no one, nor were the Zulus visible to the naked eye Confident, however, that Percy would give warning, should any approach the river, he and Crawford agreed to pull across, and having stationed their men under cover, they at once shoved off
They were soon over Rupert landed, and ran up the bank that he ht obtain a more extensive view than he could in the boat
”Hurrah! here come four horsemen, and one of them, I am sure, is my father, and anotherat a tremendous rate They have seen the Zulus, depend upon it, and probably expect to have to swim their horses across How fortunate we came over for them!”
Just as he spoke the report of a musket from the fort was heard, it was followed immediately afterwards by another
”That shows that the Zulus are co this way,” he shouted ”Yes, I see the their shi+elds and shaking their assegais, fully expecting to gain an easy victory; but my father and Lionel will be here first”
Rupert stood ready to rush down to the boat, should it be necessary to save his life; for, brave as he was, he knew that it would be wrong to run any risk of throwing it needlessly away He calculated that there were twenty or thirty Zulus approaching, running at their uth in the extreress was ih which they could not force their way Though they were co on at a fearfully rapid rate, the horse still faster Another shot was fired fronal that so the river lower down If they ht cut off his men stationed on the western bank He became doubly anxious, therefore, for the arrival of his father He could now distinguish him clearly, as he could also Lionel and Vermack and the trusty Matyana
The Zulus would, he hoped, after all be disappointed Standing on the highest part of the bank, he waved his hat and then bounded down to the boat, which Captain Broderick and his companions could not see, to show them that she was there, ready to carry theht fall, for it was evident by the way they kept their whipsthat they were hard pressed On they came, surrounded by a cloud of dust, as they passed over a sandy tract
”They'll do it! they'll do it!” cried Rupert ”Stand by, Crawford, to shove off the et into the boat I' those Zulus I should knock over one of the the oar ready, and watching his co down the bank; directly afterwards Captain Broderick and Lionel's heads appeared above it, followed by those of the Dutchman and the Kaffir
The first two threw themselves from their horses ”Well done, my dear boy! well done!” exclaimed Captain Broderick ”We will drive our horses into the water, and they will swim after the boat”
The Dutch, kept their saddles, urging on the other two steeds, while the Captain and Lionel took their seats in the boat There was no tiive answers Rupert could only say, as he gave a gripe of the hand to Lionel, ”I ahted to see you Now, Crawford, shove off”
Rupert, as he spoke, grasped his oar, and he and Crawford strained every nerve to urge the boat through the water Scarcely had they got half-way across when a body of Zulus appeared on the top of the bank, and began to hurl their assegais at them; but thethe back, for every shot had told, and they probably expected a er dose to follow Captain Broderick and Lionel, having unslung their rifles, also opened fire on the eneave the men tiet out of the reach of the assegais, they and the horses having fortunately escaped the first shower