Mrs Broderick did not feel quite satisfied with herself at having
allowed Rupert and so many men to quit the farm. Percy noticed that she
was less at her ease than usual. She at length desired him to take a
look-out on the platform to ascertain if his brother and Crawford were
returning.
"They are not likely to be back for some time," he answered, "so that I
am afraid I shall not be able to report their appearance in the
distance."
"Then, my dear Percy, take a survey of the country round, especially on
the opposite side of the river. Perhaps the Zulus may be coming back;
and should they find out how few persons there are at the farm, they may
demand Mangaleesu, and threaten us with an attack should we refuse to
give him up."
"Pray set your heart at rest on that point, mother," answered Percy. "I
will, as you desire it, take a look round, though I am pretty sure not
to see any one. Supposing the Zulus were to come, we would close the
gates and keep them out."
"But when they see only you on the platform they would force it open,"
said Mrs Broderick.
"They would find that no easy matter, while I should be peppering them
from above," said Percy, laughing. "I will mount the two swivel guns on
the platform above the gate, and I will carry up all our spare rifles,
so that I can pop away briskly at the fellows if they approach with
hostile intent."
"Were you to do that, you would expose yourself, and they would soon
find out that there was only one person defending the walls," said Mrs
Broderick.
"I have a bright idea," exclaimed Percy. "What do you say to letting
the girls dress up in Rupert's and my clothes? Perhaps we shall also
find some among my father's and Crawford's which would suit them. They
might show themselves while the enemy appeared at a distance, and then
get out of harm's way."
Mrs Broderick could not help smiling, notwithstanding her anxiety at
Percy's proposal.
"The girls will be ready to do anything that is necessary, but I trust
that after all no enemies will come near us, and I only wish you, as a
precautionary measure, to convince yourself that none are in the
neighbourhood," she said.
"Very well, mother, I will go, and shout out loud enough for you all to
hear, if I see any one," answered Percy. "Then let the girls put on
their male attire and hurry up, with muskets in their hands, to the
ramparts. They need not put on any lower garments, as the Zulus would
only see their heads and shoulders. By the bye, if they were to rig up
a few dummies, it might assist to deceive the enemy, and they might be
left to be shot at in case they should have firearms among them."
On leaving his mother, Percy shouted to his sisters to come and hear the
proposal he had to make.
The young ladies, who had been employed in various ways at the back of
the premises, hearing his voice, hurried round to ascertain what he
wanted. He had by this time reached the platform.
"I was telling mother that, should any enemy appear, I would advise you
all to rig up in our clothes. I forgot Biddy; she would be a host in
herself, if she will rout out father's old uniform coat and his cocked
hat and sword. If she flourishes the blade in the rays of the sun, and
rushes about here and there, she'll make the enemy believe that we have
a large garrison, and they will hesitate to approach us. Tell
Mangaleesu that he must disguise himself, and that he will not be
recognised in a round hat and big necktie; and his wife too, she will
prove useful. `We shall do finely,' as Denis would say, and now I'll
just look out and see if any enemy is at hand. In all probability the
Zulus have given up their search for Mangaleesu as hopeless, supposing
him by this time to be miles away from the frontier, so you need not
begin your preparations just yet, though I should like to see Biddy
dressed up in our father's cocked hat and uniform coat, with a sword by
her side. She'd make a fine picture of an Amazon."
Having thus delivered himself, Percy placed his telescope at his eye,
and slowly sweeping it round, took in every spot between the farm and
the most distant part of the landscape.
"Do you see any one?" asked Maud, who had climbed up and stood by his
side.
"Nothing moving that I can make out," he answered; "but that, of course,
does not prove that no one is coming. Perhaps a whole army of Zulus may
be advancing behind the trees, and it will be only by a lucky chance
that my glass is pointed at them at the moment they are crossing some
open space."
"You don't really think they are coming, do you?" asked Maud, in a
somewhat anxious tone.
"Of course not; but I almost wish they would, that we might have an
opportunity of putting my admirable plan of defence into execution. I'd
give anything to see Biddy hurling defiance at the savages from the
ramparts. I'm confident that we should make an heroic defence, and
immortalise our names."
"I wish you would not joke about so serious a matter," exclaimed Maud.
"What would be the use of immortalising our names if we were all to be
killed?"
"I don't mean that we should be killed," said Percy. "My idea is that
we should drive them back defeated and discomfited. I confess that I
should like to have old Vermack and a few of our other men to follow up
the enemy. Depend upon it, they would give a good account of all they
caught sight of. The Dutchman, who hates the Zulus with all his heart,
would knock them over like ninepins."
"Oh, don't speak in that way!" said Maud. "But are you sure that you do
not see any one coming? Pray do take another look round with your
glass. I daresay you are right. But mother is unusually anxious, and I
don't think she would be so unless there was a strong impression on her
mind that danger is at hand."
"Well, I'll make another examination of the surrounding world," said
Percy; and he again took up the glass, and resting it on the top of the
wall, swept the country. "Don't start back with terror if I say that I
see a regiment of Zulus in the distance. They may not be intending to
come here. Perhaps Cetchwayo is at their head, and he may merely be
making a visit of inspection round his father's territories."
"But do you really mean to say that you see a regiment crossing the
river?" asked Maud, in a somewhat alarmed tone.
"No; I was only supposing the matter," said Percy, laughing. "In case
any may have crossed over, and be creeping up on our side, I'll now turn
my glass in that direction."
He was for some time silent, while Maud watched his countenance.
Suddenly he exclaimed--
"Yes, I do see something moving. Now don't tumble down off the
platform, Maud; for whether they are men or beasts I cannot yet clearly
make out. Yes, I see now; there is a man leading a horse with one hand
and a small animal with the other. I do believe it is Crawford. The
animal is a quagga. Every now and then the creature begins to frisk
about and pull away from him. He has a hard matter to get it along,
that is very evident. Now he stops and is patting the creature, now
they are coming on again. Now the little brute is kicking and plunging,
trying to bite him; but he holds on manfully. I wish that I could go
and help him; but I must not desert my post. I guess how it is; he has
managed to catch the quagga, and is bringing it in to try and tame it,
very likely to present to one of you girls."
"Not for me or Rose. If it's for one of us, it's for Helen," exclaimed
Maud. "He evidently admires her, though she is too busy to admire him
in return. At all events, we shall have him as an addition to the
garrison, should the Zulus come before Rupert and the men with him
return."
"I have been looking out for them, but I don't see them. Crawford,
however, will be here presently, and tell us what they are about, so
that we may know when to expect them."
Percy had taken two or three turns on the platform, when he suddenly
exclaimed, "I do believe there are some people coming down the mountain,
but who they are I cannot make out, though there appear to be a good
many of them. Maud, do you go down and tell Helen and Rose and Biddy to
get ready. I'll fire the signals to let the men know they are to drive
in the cattle. Crawford will be here long before the Zulus can cross
the river, even if he doesn't mount his horse and let the young quagga
go. Don't alarm our mother, that's all. I say, Maud," he added, as his
sister was hastening away, "before you do anything else, send Biddy here
with the swivel guns. One at a time is as much as she can carry, and I
have got a rope to hoist them up. There are places already fitted to
fix them in; and then tell her to bring along the muskets and a good
store of ammunition. Let Mangaleesu know what is wanted, and he'll help
her, and his wife too. As long as they do not show themselves, there is
no reason why they should not come out of their retreat."
Maud hastened away to obey these directions, and Percy resumed his
look-out through the telescope. He was more than ever sure that a
considerable force was coming over the hill,--a force, too, which took
no pains to conceal itself. This might prove that they came with no
hostile intentions, or it might be that, confident in their own
strength, they were indifferent to being discovered.
"I wish that Rupert and the hunters were not away," said Percy to
himself. "This may be no joking matter; at the same time we must put on
a bold face, and not allow the savages to suppose that we are daunted by
their numbers. I only hope that Rupert will be back before they cross
the river, for it would be serious were he to be caught by them; and
then perhaps my father and Lionel will be coming, and they may be
surprised by the cunning rascals."
Again and again Percy turned his glass to the eastward.
"Hurrah! that's one good thing; the fellows have halted just about the
spot where they were before encamped."
His remarks to himself were interrupted by Biddy's voice.
"Sure, we've been after bringing yer one of thim big pop guns, Masther
Percy; but how will ye git it up there?"
And, looking down, he saw her and Mangaleesu carrying a swivel gun
between them. The Zulu showed himself to be more of an adept in
securing a rope than was Biddy, who at once climbed up to the platform.
The swivel was soon hoisted up, and mounted in the place intended for
it. Mangaleesu in the meantime had brought out the other, which in like
manner was quickly got into position.
"Now for the muskets, Biddy," cried Percy, who felt himself of no slight
importance at being actually in command of the fort; his spirits rose
accordingly.
Biddy, Mangaleesu, and Kalinda quickly returned with muskets and
ammunition.
"Now go and rig yourselves out in the fashion I told Maud that you must
all do; and be ready to come up here as soon as the Zulus reach the bank
of the river, from which they can see us clearly."
Percy had at first made the proposal half in fun, but his sisters and
Biddy took it in right down earnest, although he scarcely supposed that
they would really do as he proposed. He had made Mangaleesu understand
that he must be ready to assist in hoisting up the drawbridge, as it
would require the strength of the whole party to perform the operation.
He did not, however, intend to hoist it up until the Zulus approached
nearer, as he hoped before that time that not only Crawford would have
arrived, but that his brother and the men would have reached the farm.
As far as he could judge, when looking through the telescope, the Zulus
were preparing to encamp, although they might have had some other reason
for halting.
He had kept his glass continually fixed on them to watch their
movements; it now occurred to him to turn it in the opposite direction,
when to his satisfaction he saw that Crawford had almost got up to the
farm. He waved to him to come, and then made signs to Mangaleesu, who
was waiting below, to open the gate.
Just as Crawford, leading his horse and the quagga filly--as tame as a
dog--crossed the drawbridge, Biddy and the three young ladies came out
of the house, dressed exactly as Percy had suggested, with hats and
coats, sashes round their waists, and rifles in their hands. He started
with astonishment, unable to comprehend the cause of their strange
masquerading.
"I beg your pardon, young ladies," he said, "but I did not at first know
you in your disguise. Did you take me for an enemy?"
"We should not have let you in so easily," answered Helen. "Percy has
seen the Zulus approaching, and being afraid that they would attack the
fort before you and Rupert had returned, we have got ready to defend it
to the best of our power."
"I consider that Percy is mistaken, although I have no doubt that you
have made the best preparations for defence," said Crawford, inclined to
treat the whole affair as a joke.
"Sure, if the inemy do show themselves near this, we will put them to
the right about," cried Biddy, flourishing the captain's sword.
"Let me secure my horse and this little zebra filly which I have brought
for you, Miss Helen; I will then join Percy, and ascertain what is
likely to happen," said Crawford.
Helen duly thanked the young Englishman for his intended gift, but as
the little animal at that moment took it into its head to grow restive,
and kick, scream, and prance about, she did not show any inclination to
approach it.
Crawford having taken his horse and little captive round to the yard,
hurried up to the platform, where Percy was standing. Looking through
the telescope, he was satisfied Percy was right in supposing that the
people he saw below the hill were Zulus. They were probably not aware
that they could be distinguished at so great a distance. He then turned
his glass in the direction he hoped Rupert and his men would be coming.
"I see their waggon," he exclaimed, "although they appear to me to be
moving very slowly. I tell you what, Percy, the best thing I can do is
to set off and hasten Rupert and his men. It will be better to lose the
waggon than to have them cut off. Depend upon it, I'll not spare whip
or spur."
"Thank you, Mr Crawford; pray go by all means," said Mrs Broderick,
who had just then come out of the house. "I was wrong in letting Rupert
start, but I pray that he may be back before the Zulus reach the river."
"No fear of that, mother, as Crawford is going for him," said Percy.
"We'll get in the waggon too, with its load of meat, which will better
enable us to stand a siege."
Crawford, without further delay, threw himself on his horse, while Percy
returned to the platform to watch what the Zulus were about.
"They are still halting," he shouted out, "though I suspect they will
send forward scouts to reconnoitre our fortifications. Come up, girls;
come up, Biddy, and show yourselves on the ramparts. I am half inclined
to fire off the guns, but it may be wiser not to let them know that we
are prepared for them until they come nearer, as they probably expect to
take us by surprise, and the disappointment will be the greater when
they see armed men on the walls."
The young ladies and Biddy quickly climbed up, and Percy placed them at
intervals, with muskets on their shoulders, and told them to walk about
like sentinels.
"Now, Biddy, flourish your sword, and make it flash in the sun. That
will do famously. They'll see it in the distance, and suppose that we
have a dozen men with bayonets, at least."
The girls, forgetting any alarm they might at first have felt, laughed
heartily at Biddy's vehement gestures, as she carried out Percy's
directions to the full. Now she rushed to one end of the platform, now
to the other, giving vent to her feelings by various war shouts in her
native Celtic.
"You, Helen, keep a look-out on Crawford, and tell me how he gets on,"
said Percy, handing her the glass, having first taken a glance through
it himself.
"Yes, I can see him clearly," said Helen. "He is galloping along at a
tremendous rate, and I fancy that I can make out Rupert and the waggon
in the distance."
Helen, who had put down her musket, showed no inclination to take her
eye from the telescope.
"Hurrah!" cried Percy, "here come the herdsmen with the cattle. I
thought they would not be long after they heard the signal. They will
help us to defend the walls. Perhaps Crawford will fall in with some
settlers, and we shall soon have a sufficient number of men to dispense
with your services, girls."
"But we don't wish to have our services dispensed with," cried Rose.
"We want to make ourselves useful."
"But I don't want you to get killed or wounded," said Percy. "Some of
the Zulus may have firearms, or they may venture near enough to hurl
their assegais. You will have done all that is necessary by showing
yourselves as at present in martial array, and I feel very sure that the
enemy, when they see you, will defer their attack until they come up
under cover of the darkness to try and take us by surprise."
Percy allowed Helen to keep the glass while he was employed in loading
the swivels, and pointing them in the direction the Zulus would probably
attempt to approach the gate. She in the meantime was watching
Crawford's progress; though he and his horse looked no larger than an
ant crossing over a large field, she still kept her eye upon him until
she could report that he had joined Rupert. The latter was riding ahead
of the waggon till Crawford got up to him, when she saw both of them,
followed by the two Kaffir hunters, come galloping at headlong speed
towards the farm, while the waggon still kept moving on as before,
though at a faster rate.
As soon as the cattle had been driven into the kraal, Percy supplied the
Hottentots with fresh ammunition, and posted them in different parts of
the walls, that they might make as great a show as possible, taking care
to keep his white warriors, as he called his three sisters and Biddy, in
the front.
"Wouldn't Denis be in his element, if he were here!" he said to Maud, as
he passed her. "He would be flying about in all directions, and putting
spirit into every one. By the bye, I quite forgot the dummies. Do go
down to mother, and see if she cannot rig out half a dozen, and hand
them up as soon as they are ready. She might also make Mangaleesu
understand what we want, and he'll manufacture a whole army of Kaffir
warriors with assegais and shields. It would make the enemy suppose
that we had a strong force of natives inside, in addition to our own
men."
Maud did not like leaving the platform until Percy assured her that he
was in earnest, and that such an array of dummies as he proposed would,
he was certain, have a good effect in preventing the Zulus from coming
close to the walls.
"They are cunning fellows, and would soon detect the dummies, if they
were to remain stationary; but we will outwit them by moving them about
and putting them in different positions," he said to Helen. "I must,
however, take another look through the telescope. Here come Crawford
and Rupert, so that you don't want it any longer."
The horsemen indeed could now be seen clearly by the naked eye,
galloping towards the fort. Percy turned his glass towards the party of
Zulus.
"As far as I can make out they are considerably diminished in numbers,
and I suspect that some of them have been stealing along towards the
river, intending to cross lower down. If so, we must keep a watch upon
them. I can see the channel of the river over a considerable distance,
and they won't get over without being detected." Percy watched for some
time, and at length said, "I can see nothing on the surface of the
stream, not even a crocodile or hippopotamus. The Zulus, knowing that
they have a chance of meeting one of those creatures, won't venture to
cross unless in considerable numbers."
"Here come Rupert and Mr Crawford!" cried Helen in a joyful tone. "We
shall be safe now, at all events."
The horsemen soon rode in at the gate, which had not yet been closed.
Rupert was as much amused as Crawford had been at seeing his sisters in
their military attire. He fully approved of all Percy had done; and
when he heard of the proposed dummies, he thought the idea excellent.
While Crawford, who possessed a great deal of mechanical ingenuity, went
in to assist Mrs Broderick, he hurried to the back of the house, where
he found Mangaleesu and Kalinda employed in manufacturing Kaffir
warriors. They had collected a number of poles and sticks, and had
obtained from the storehouse a sufficient quantity of skins for dressing
up their figures. Kalinda had brought in from the garden about a dozen
pumpkins and melons. These served admirably for heads, while some other
skins, bent over oblong hoops, formed shields. Indeed, Mangaleesu had
already put together a sufficient supply of shields and bundles of
seeming assegais, to arm the whole of the dummies. They had not
forgotten to obtain some pigment, with which to darken the faces of
their figures.
"Very good, indeed. The enemy will fully believe that these are real
Kaffirs," said Rupert. "Your idea of pumpkins for heads is capital.
I'll take some in for my mother; but we'll paint them white to suit the
dresses of the figures."
"I suppose I must give up the command to you," said Percy to Rupert,
when the latter returned to the platform.
"You have succeeded so well, that I should not think of superseding
you," answered his brother. "I'll obey your orders, although I will
exert my own wits, and consider what is best to be done."
"The most important object that I can see at present is to prevent the
Zulus from capturing the waggon," said Percy. "If any of them go
towards it, we must make a dash out and drive them back. I'll go, if
you like, with Crawford and four men; six of us would keep a hundred at
bay."
"No, if any one goes, I will," said Rupert. "You are in command
remember, and must not leave the fortress. I am not quite certain that
it would be prudent, but the two Hottentots with the waggon have their
arms, and as they will fight bravely enough from behind a waggon, we may
reckon that our force will consist of eight men. It will assist to
convince the enemy that we have a large garrison in the fort."
As yet, however, no Zulus had appeared, and there seemed every
probability that the waggon would get in without being attacked. Though
Percy kept his glass turned generally towards the river, fully expecting
to catch sight of the Zulus passing across it, he occasionally directed
it towards their main body, which remained as before, stationary. He
had just pointed it in that direction, when he observed a movement among
the dark-skinned warriors. He saw several go to a height, and then set
off running at full speed towards the north. He pointed them out to
Rupert, who, as he looked through the telescope, exclaimed--
"What if they should be going to meet our father, who very likely may be
coming; or, if not, they may have caught sight of some messenger he has
sent. I trust that either one or the other may have seen them in time
and pushed on."
"I feel sure you are right," said Percy. "We must not let our mother
know, however, it will agitate her too much. I am very glad you did not
set off to meet the waggon. I'll tell you what we ought to do. We must
pull across in the boat, and be ready to receive whoever is coming. It
will be some time before the Zulus can reach the river; and I would
suggest that you and Crawford, with four men, go down, and while you and
he take the boat across, the others with their muskets can cover your
passage, 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 compliment, and his readiness to
follow his suggestions, without showing the slightest tinge of jealousy.
"In the meantime," continued Rupert, "we had better get up the dummies,
and post them in the most conspicuous places, so as to make the greatest
show possible."
"I advise that they be fixed a little way from the ramparts, so that we
can pass in front of them," said Percy. "Although 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 way with some of the
dummies, which at a little distance had greatly the appearance of living
people. Mangaleesu's were decidedly the best, his figures admirably
representing 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 a musket if you see
any Zulus approaching the river, who may be shut out from our view, and
another, if you observe any crossing in the distance; then we shall know
how to act. Come along, Crawford!"
They hurried out, running at full speed, as they were convinced that
there was no time to be lost. On reaching the bank of the river, they
could see farther up the stream than they could from the farm.
Percy was in the meantime watching to catch sight of the Zulus who had
gone to the northward. They were still visible as they made their way
among the trees. By this he knew that if his father was coming, they
had not yet succeeded in cutting him off. While still watching 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 foam, and trotting at a speed at which they had
probably never before moved when yoked. In a few minutes the waggon
drove over the drawbridge into the farm, greatly 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 of
meat which they were bringing in.
Rupert and his party lost no time in launching 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 might
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 another must be Lionel," he cried. "They are dashing along
at 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 coming this way," he shouted. "Yes, I
see them, a whole band of yelling savages. On they come, clashing their
shields 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 utmost speed;
but the ground was rough in the extreme, and in many places their
progress was impeded by thorny bushes, through which they could not
force their way. Though they were coming on at a fearfully rapid rate,
the horsemen were moving still faster. Another shot was fired from the
fort. This Rupert took to be a signal that some more Zulus were
crossing the river lower down. If they made good speed, they might 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 them across. The only fear was
that one of their horses might fall, for it was evident by the way they
kept their whips moving that 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 moment we get into the boat. I'm half inclined to send a
shot among those Zulus. I should knock over one of them if they come
much nearer."
Crawford stood holding the oar ready, and watching his companion.
Presently he saw Rupert springing 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 Dutchman and Kaffir, however, disdaining this mode of crossing, kept
their saddles, urging on the other two steeds, while the Captain and
Lionel took their seats in the boat. There was no time to ask questions
or give answers. Rupert could only say, as he gave a gripe of the hand
to Lionel, "I am sure that you must be my brother Walter. I am
delighted 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 the moment they did so a
volley from the west bank poured in among them, making them rapidly
spring back, for every shot had told, and they probably expected a much
larger dose to follow. Captain Broderick and Lionel, having unslung
their rifles, also opened fire on the enemy. This gave the men time to
reload, as also to enable Vermack and the Kaffir to get out of the reach
of the assegais, they and the horses having fortunately escaped the
first shower.
"What! did you expect the farm to be attacked?" asked Captain Broderick,
looking up at the walls. "How did you manage to collect so large a body
of defenders?"
"We originated them, sir," answered Crawford. "You'll see who they are
as we get nearer." He could not manage to say more, exerting himself as
he was at the moment, nor did Captain Broderick ask further questions.
Landing, they drew up the boat, for they had no time to carry her to the
harbour under the walls. They immediately joined the men, and as the
Zulus again appeared on the bank, drove them back, enabling Vermack and
Matyana to get to land with the horses.
The moment they had fired the volley another shot from the fort summoned
Rupert to look down the stream, where he caught sight, though still,
however, at some distance, of another body of the enemy who were coming
up on the western bank.
"There's no time to be lost, sir," he said to his father. "We must get
into the fort and haul up the drawbridge, or we shall have a number of
those fellows upon us."
Captain Broderick, seeing the importance of this advice, called out to
Vermack and the Kaffir, to drive up the horses. The whole party then
hurried on as fast as they could move towards the farm. Percy had
thoughtfully stationed several men at the ropes to haul up the
drawbridge as soon as they were over.
They were not a moment too soon. Scarcely was the drawbridge secured
when the Zulus who had been coming up the west bank and the party who
had pursued Captain Broderick, and who had now crossed, uniting, made a
desperate rush to get in.
No sooner, however, had they got within range of Percy's swivels, than
both were fired in rapid succession, throwing their ranks into
confusion, while he, picking up musket after musket, began to blaze away
at them. This kept them in check and enabled Captain Broderick and the
rest of the men to reach the ramparts, who immediately opened so hot a
fire, that the Zulus, wanting courage to face it, hastily retreated,
believing that the farm was defended by a far larger garrison than they
had supposed.