OCR Text |
Show paid niei oxen to each wagon, and myself in charge of the lot. They the mention to ashamed rather am l muclri how well. never mind the hire amount. I asked a good price for my wagons, or rather for who had of them. of a very well satisfied young gentleman in uniform got it. surprise, my to and, country, the in weeks three exactly been would what them warned and d comman in those But when I went to pride happen if they persisted in their way of advance, then in their but politely they would not listen to the old hunter and tralisport-rider, bowed me out. disaster." If they had. there would have been no Isamlhlwana with IIe brooded awhile, for, as I knew, this was a sore subject him, one of which he would rarely talk. Although he escaped himself, Quatcrmain had lost friends on that latal licld. He went on : To return to old )lagepa. I had known him for many years. The first time we met was in the battle of the Tugela. I was fighting for the kings son. L'mbclazi the Handsome, in the ranks of the Amawombe l‘CgillICllt'il mean to write all that story, for it should not be lost.1 \Vell, as I have told you before, the .r‘rmawombe were wiped out; of mum \. MAGEPA THE BUCK PRINCESS MARY'S GIF" BOOK Gt the three thousand or so of them I think only about fifty remained alive alter they had annihilated the three of Cetewayo's regiments that set upon them. But Magepa was one who surviv ed. 1 met him afterwards at old King I'anda‘s kraal and recognised him as having fought by my side. \Vhilst I was talking with him the Prince Cetewayo came by; to me he was civil enough. for he knew how I chanced to be in the battle, but he glared at Magepa. and said : " \Vhy, Macumaxahn, is not this man one of the dogs with which you tried to bite me by the Tugcla not long ago? He must be a cunning dog also, one who can run fast, for how comes it that he lives to snarl when so many will never bark again? Ow! if I had my way I would find a strip of hide to lit his neck." " Not so," I answered; " he has the king's peac A and he is a brave man-braver than I am, anyway, I'rince, seeing that I ran from the ranks of the Amawombe, while he stood where he was." " You mean that your horse ran, Maeumazahn. "1:11, since you , like this dog. I will not hurt him "; and with a shrug he went-his way. " Yet soon or late he will hurt me," said Magcpa, when the Prince had gone. " U‘Cetewayo has a memory long as the shadow thrown by a tree at sunset. Moreover, as he knows well, it is true that I ran, I‘Iaculnazahn, though not till all was finished and I could do no more ‘ For this story see the book named " Child of Storm," by II. Rider Haggard. by standing still. 65 You remember how, after we had eaten up the first. of Cetewayo's regiments, the second charged us and we ate that up also. \Vell. in that light I got a tap on the head from a kerry. It struck me on my man's ring which I had just put on. for I think I was the youngest soldier in that regiment of veterans. The ring saved me; still, for a while I lost my mind and lay like one dead. \Vhen I found it again the fight was over and (fetewayos people were searching for our wounded that they might kill them. Presently they found me and saw that there was no hurt on me. "‘ Here is one who shams dead like a stink-eat,' said a big fellow, lifting his spear. " Then it was that I sprang up and ran, I who was but just married and desired to live. He struck at me, but I jumped over the spear. and to hunt me, the others that they threw missed me. Then they began am swil‘ter I because Buck' The ‘ named am who I, , but, Maenmazahn of foot than any man in Zululand. outpaced them all and got away safe." "\Vell done, )Iagepa," I said. "Still, remember the saying of and your people, ‘At last the strong swimmer goes with the stream the swift runner is run down.' " perhaps " I know it, l\Iacun'1azahn," he answered, with a nod, " and in a day to come I shall know it better." I took little heed of his words at the time, but more than thirty years afterwards I remembered them. Such was my first acquaintance with Magepa. Now, friends, I will tell you how it was renewed at the time of the Zulu war. As you know. I was attached to the centre column that advanced war was into Zululand by Itorke‘s Drift on the Buffalo River. Before might have declared. or at any rate before the advance began. while it transport- been and many thought it would be averted, I was employed became so 1'iding goods to the little Itorke's Drift station. that which information I famous afterwards. and incidentally in collecting what kraal a mile a was there that Hearing intentions. could of (Jetewayo‘s people were said to be or so the other side of the river, of which the very friendly to the English, I determined to visit it. You may think where for many this was rash, but I was so well known in Zululand, whither I would years, by special leave of the king. I was allowed to go long as I went alone._ quite unmolested, that I felt no fear for myself so for a kloof Accordingly one evening I crossed the drift and headed brought me in in which I was told the kraal stood. Ten minutes' ride sight of it. six or eight It was not a large kraal', there may have been itlttlll llmlkkflii |