Part 15 (2/2)
For themselves into a dense mass, the Zulus rushed on to the farh them Met every where with a shower of bullets, the dark-skinned soldiers fell fast, and their first effort was a failure Nothing daunted, however, they again and again renewed their charge, and for three hours never relaxed their efforts At length a vast nu concentrated on one side of the camp only, a party of two hundred ing both flanks, poured in volley after volley, which soon discoaan's chieftains:
”Even as they fell they lay, Like the rass at the close of day,”
and a panic seizing the not less than three thousand rants' loss waskilled, and some half-dozen wounded
Irants pushed forward to Dingaan's kraal, which they found burning, he having retreated to the bush with the remnant of his forces Here, on a hill outside the town, they found the remains of their ill-fated countrynised by the leather pouches they wore A fierce retribution had, however, been now taken for the treacherous slaughter of these guests, and the power of the great Zulu chief was broken by athat their a condition, the farmers did not consider it advisable to continue their attacks on Dingaan in their present state; they therefore seized about five thousand head of cattle, and gradually returned to their lager
After this decisive victory the erants' position was much iricultural pursuits which they had before considered it useless to atte, and at the Bay of Natal another toas formed, now called D'Urban _Landdrosts_ were appointed at both places, and a regular systerants were under the impression that they would peaceably possess the land for which they and their relatives had suffered so ence of the scenes of bloodshed which had been going on between the erants, ere still considered British subjects, and the Zulus, had reached the English govern the district of Natal as a portion of South Africa belonging to England, despatched a party of troops to occupy the district, and to endeavour to put a stop to these scenes of bloodshed Very serious results ht have occurred between the British troops and the Boers, had not the officer in co received orders to seize the arrants, in order to stop their slaughter of the Zulus As it was, however, the English and Dutch maintained friendly intercourse until the winter of 1839, when the British troops ithdrawn, and the erants left for a tiaan gradually recovered his defeat, and recruited his arrants, he proceeded cunningly to discover what they were doing In order to throw theuard, he sent to them above three hundred horses which he had captured fro to rants replied that when he had returned the whole of the cattle he had taken, and had made restitution for the losses he had occasioned them, they would make peace with him, but not before The crafty Zulu promised to do this, and therefore erants occasionally, in order to conveyactually used as spies, in order to discover whether the eether in force, or whether they were scattered, and thus offered a chance of success should an attack bebeen discovered by the erants, they dared not yet settle down, and they were in uncertainty what to do, when a singular event occurred in connexion with the native politics
Dingaan had but two brothers re aan, inasmuch as the latter lived only for war, the for suffered severely in consequence of the ed, were disposed in favour of peace, and of ”Panda,” as he was soaan, this able savage politician decided upon getting rid of his brother byfriends at court, heard of this decision of his worthy brother, and at once fled, and crossing the Tugela river with a nuers requesting the aid of the eainst his treacherous brother The result of these negotiations was, that the e as Dingaan was chief of the Zulus, decided to aid Panda, which they did, and the result was a great and last battle between the Zulus under Dingaan and the Boers with Panda's forces During this battle thole regiaan, and joined Panda, whilst the Boers took little or no part in the battle The result, however, was the total defeat of Dingaan, as driven frodom far up the country, where he soon after perished; and thus an ally of the farmers occupied the chieftainshi+p of the Zulus, and they could now rest in peace, each seeking the location that suited hier for the purpose of slaying his enearatified
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
A HUNTING TRIP--ROUND THE BIVOUAC FIRE--THE HUNTER'S TALE--CARRIED OFF BY A LION--THE SHOOTING LAWS IN THE DESERT--THE OPHIR OF SCRIPTURE-- BABOONS HUNTING A LEOPARD--THE NATAL ROCK SNAKE
We have for a time omitted the individual adventures of Hans, and have endeavoured to give a brief account of those events in all of which he was an active participator, and which led to the e for a time the Natal district So occupied had Hans been with the wars of the time, that Katrine had seen but little of him Now that affairs were more peaceable, Hans wished tofor several relatives who had been htered at Weenen; she therefore put it off for six reatly objected Finding she was determined, however, he had no alternative; and so, to ed with his old coo on an elephant-hunting expedition up the country to the north-east, where it was reported elephants abounded
The party who started on this expedition each took a waggon, which was drawn by fourteen oxen Accoon was a Hottentot driver and three Kaffirs From four to five horses were taken by each hunter, so that the party amounted to nearly thirty in all It was quite an unexplored country where these hunters intended to travel, and so there was an additional interest in this expedition Guns and ammunition were in plenty, and it was anticipated that considerable profit would be derived fro the journey
”Well, Victor,” said Hans, as the two sat in a tent which had been brought with the chat since our battles with the Zulus Tell me of your escapes”
”I had several,” replied Victor; ”the nearest, though, e ith Uys, and we thought you were killed There were Bernhard and Cobus and some half-dozen of us anted to turn back and look after you, but the others would not The Zulus were closing on us again, and the hill swarmed with them, but aited for athat reat brawny Kaffir threw his knob-kerrie at e it, but it came so quickly I could not, and it struck me fairly on the head
Cess, I fell as if I had been shot I did not lose my senses, but felt paralysed for a time The Zulus yelled triuies flew thick about us; but the few men with me were my staunch friends, and a dozen bullets answered the triumphant shouts of the Kaffirs I think it was old Piet who lifted , till I got right again, and could hold the reins I returned the kindness before long; for as we rode through the bush a Zulu started up close to hih him before he could have saved hiht side, but I was behind hi the Kaffir's hands, I sent ht well!” exclaiive us trouble”
”Soement, but they were not much use to them, and the horses they rode caused the death of one of the party, who being unable toaith him into our camp, the Zulu stabbed himself with his own spear”
”The man was a fool!” exclaimed Hans; ”why did he not stab the horse instead?”
”Talking over your battles!” exclaimed Hofman, an old hunter, as he entered the tent ”Ah! we have had plenty of fighting for some time to come, and we may talk about it now, for there will be peace in the land for soh we ought not to have been beaten before It all arose frouns, and they had none, yet when you fight in bushy country, and there are twenty to one against you, even a savage arainst the Amakosa tribes when they attacked Grahaht You will seebefore you die, Hans, depend upon it”
”I ah I have no wish to shed any h I can say I never shot a Kaffir, unless it was to save ainst dangerous gaes,” said Hofman, ”and that will try your nerves at times I know that I never found in any battle I have been in such nervous work as the first time I shot a lion, and that I did in self-defence, and when little more than a boy”
”Tell us the tale, Hofman,” said one or two of the party, who had all asse
”It is not much of a tale,” replied the hunter, ”and Hans there, I know, has had many more narrow escapes; but it hen I lived under the Winterberg I had been over to our neighbours, who lived twenty-five miles from us, and I rode an old horse that was almost past work I was to ride there and back in the day, and bring soot the seeds, and should have soon returned, only there was somebody there I liked to stop and talk to, and so I waited rather late It was near sundohen I started, and I had a good three hours' ride before h I had to pass a place called Lions' Fountain, where lions were usually seen, and if they were not seen, their footprints alere, showing that they lived in the neighbourhood I rode on, however, and as it got darker I rode quicker; but before long I found the old horse was knocked up, and could not go beyond a walk I knew my father was fond of the old horse, so I determined to dish, for the horse would not hurry hi as fro quite lively, for which I could not account at first; but noting that the old horse kept turning his head as though looking at so, I strainedat the time, and so you may not be surprised when I tell you le lion, for that, I think, I ht have felt aabout sixty yards fro I could scarcely believe ht, and there was light enough for e, too, was that one lion seemed to be afraid that the others should take his prey away from him, for every now and then he would turn on the theain within forty yards, and go along in the saan to think he was taking care of me, and didn't le-barrelled gun, and that not a very large bore; so I did not feel at all a an to try and reht help one at a pinch like this; but I couldn't well call toto think I had better leave the old horse and run for it, when the big lion, having driven off the others to soht in my path If I led the horse on, I should be nearest the lion, and I believed he would kill me first, and the horse afterwards I hesitated what to do, and had I been more experienced, I believe I should not have done what I did; for a wounded lion is a terrible creature, even worse than a hungry one However, I deter at his forehead, I pulled the trigger, and instantly bolted behind the old horse Before I could see what happened, I waited ato hear the monster roar; but there was no sound, except of creatures sca away in the distance; and when I looked to see where the lion was, there he lay dead My little bullet had struck him between the eyes, and killed him on the spot I remember it all now as if it had just happened, and I think I never was ht”
”You were once carried off by a lion, were you not, Hans?” inquired the last speaker