"There is no doubt about it. I must give the first warning signal to
Crawford;" and he fired off a musket.
As there was no reply, he soon afterwards discharged another and
another.
Captain Broderick and Rupert came hurrying up to ascertain what was
happening. The Zulus were no longer in sight, but he feared that his
sons were right in their conjecture. All eyes were turned in the
direction it was expected that Crawford would appear.
They had not long to wait before the waggon came in sight. Old Vermack
lashing the horses, which tore along at a tremendous rate, the rest of
the men being seated in the vehicle, while Crawford, who followed, every
now and then turned a glance behind, as if aware that an enemy was in
pursuit. That such was the case was soon evident. The Zulus were seen
scampering as fast as their legs could carry them, hoping apparently
that the roughness of the ground or some accident might place the
fugitives at their mercy. There indeed seemed even now a great
probability that they would be overtaken. Crawford still gallantly
brought up the rear. He was seen holding his rifle ready to fire, so as
to keep them in check, should they come nearer. The horses' hoofs and
the waggon wheels, however, threw up so much dust from the dry ground
they were now passing over, that he was soon completely shut out from
view. The men were summoned to the ramparts, with the exception of
those required to haul up the drawbridge. Percy got his swivels ready.
Biddy made her appearance with the captain's hat, which she had just
time to stick on her head, and a couple of muskets in her hand.
Again the horses could be distinguished still coming at the same rate as
before. But what had become of Crawford? A shot was heard, it was
hoped that he had fired it, and not one of his pursuers.
"There he is, there he is!" cried Lionel, whose sharp eyes had pierced
the cloud of dust. Presently he emerged from the cloud a short distance
behind the waggon, sitting his horse as if uninjured. The Zulus could
also be seen, with their assegais poised, eager to hurl them at him; but
he still kept ahead of them. The pursuers, excited by the ardour of the
chase, at length got within musket range of the west angle of the fort,
from whence a warm fire was opened upon them. They appeared not to be
aware of their danger until the bullets came flying about their ears,
when turning tail they ran off as fast as they had before been going in
an opposite direction, and Vermack drove his panting steeds up to the
drawbridge. They were quickly over, bringing in a considerable load of
grass.
Captain Broderick descended to thank Crawford for the service he had
rendered.
"I should have been caught, however, had I not heard your signal guns,"
he answered; "for the Zulus were creeping up so noiselessly, that they
were almost upon us before the men had time to jump into the waggon; and
even though Vermack lashed on his horses, we had great difficulty in
keeping ahead of them."
It is needless to say that Crawford received a further reward from the
way he was greeted by Helen, who had been more anxious, probably, than
any one else during his absence.
The supply of grass thus brought in was of great assistance in feeding
the cattle, but it had to be husbanded to the utmost, as the Zulus were
certain not to let the waggon go out again without making an attempt to
capture it.
Another and another day passed as the first had done. The Zulus kept
carefully out of sight. The scouts, who went cautiously out, reported
that they had fallen in with the enemy's scouts in the neighbourhood,
evidently keeping a strict watch on the fort, so that no one would be
able to leave it without a risk of being cut off.
The fodder was now running very short. There was scarcely enough for
the animals for another day. They might, to be sure, yet live a day or
two without food, although they would suffer in consequence; but that
was better than allowing them to fall into the enemy's hands.
Two days more passed. Every particle of food was gone. It was
determined as a last resource to turn out the cattle at night. Two of
the Hottentots bravely volunteered to drive them towards the mountains;
but Vermack expressed his opinion that that was more than they could do,
as the poor animals, having been so long starved, were certain to remain
feeding on the first pasture land they came to. "It would be better to
slaughter them at once than to let them fall into the hands of the
savages," he added.
It was resolved therefore to keep them another day. Crawford had not
neglected his little zebra, which, as it was able to live on milk, was
better off than any other of the creatures, although the supply afforded
by the poor cows, for whom a small amount of fodder had been reserved,
was becoming less and less.
Another night approached. The garrison were beginning to get worn out
with watching, although they had to make no great exertions in other
respects.
"I suppose we shall have another night's useless watching," observed
Crawford; "I don't believe that the Zulus will venture to attack the
fort."
"Don't trust to that belief, Mr Crawford," said Vermack. "If they
don't come to-night, they will to-morrow or the next day; perhaps in the
day-time, if they think that we are off our guard; but it is our
business to expect that they will come to-night."
The old Dutchman refused to turn in, though it was not his watch, and
wrapped in his blanket he took his post on the platform.
The night was cloudy and unusually dark. Denis had bestowed Raff as a
parting gift on Percy, who had taken the dog up with him.
For some time Raff lay perfectly still, but at length he rose from his
recumbent position, and began to move away to the right side of the
fort.
Percy observing this followed him, and on his way he found Vermack going
in the same direction. Presently Raff gave a low growl, then another,
and began to run backwards and forwards.
"Go, Mr Percy, and call out all the men: depend upon it the Zulus are
not far off," whispered Vermack. "I'll keep post here. They think to
take us by surprise."
Percy rushed off to do as he was requested. He fortunately met Lionel,
who hastened to call his father. He had just aroused the garrison, when
the sound of Vermack's gun showed that he had seen something to fire at.
Most of the men, led by Captain Broderick, sprang up to that side of the
fort, just in time to encounter a shower of assegais, and to see a dozen
dark heads rising above the stockade. Few, however, got higher; for
Vermack, clubbing his musket, struck out right and left, hurling down
the greater number into the ditch, while the rest were shot or struck
down by the other men in the same fashion. The garrison now opened fire
on the mass of dark objects moving about below them. While thus
engaged, Percy's voice was heard shouting--
"Come to the front! come to the front! They are trying to get in over
the gate."
Rupert, Crawford, Lionel and Mangaleesu, with several men, hastened to
his assistance. They were barely in time to drive back the assailants,
who, while their companions had been engaged at the right side, had
managed to place some rudely constructed ladders against the stockade.
At the same time showers of assegais came hurtling through the air.
Mangaleesu had thrown aside his shield, that he might use a club, with
which he had supplied himself, with better effect. He was followed
closely by a light active figure, whom Percy recognised as Kalinda.
Where the Zulus appeared the thickest, there they were to be found, and
many an assegai was caught by the young Zulu woman, and hurled back at
the assailants of the fort. At length a piercing cry was heard above
the shouts of the combatants.
Mangaleesu was no longer seen wielding his club, and Percy caught sight
of a number of Zulus attempting to climb up at the spot he had hitherto
been defending. Ever prompt in action, he immediately turned one of the
swivel guns, loaded to the muzzle with bullets, and directed it so as to
sweep the wall.
Groans and cries followed the discharge, and the dark mass of human
beings, with the ladders on which they had stood, fell crashing below.
Still others came on, evidently determined to gain an entrance at all
costs.
Although the muskets of the defenders had performed their deadly work,
they themselves had not escaped unscathed from the assegais of the
Zulus. Several had been hurt, and Crawford had a severe wound in his
left shoulder.
Frequently old Vermack's voice had been heard shouting, "Fire away,
boys! fire away! don't spare the savages." There was little necessity
for this advice, however. Every man knew that should their assailants
once get in, the lives of all would be sacrificed.
It would have been well had the captain's orders not to throw a shot
away been obeyed. As it was, however, every one loaded and fired as
fast as possible, often over the heads of the enemy.
Percy, who had been employing his swivels with great effect, at length
shouted out to Lionel to go and get some more powder. "I've nearly come
to the end of mine," he said.
Lionel hurried off, but just as Percy fired his last shot he came back
with the alarming intelligence that the magazine was empty.
"Our father and Crawford, and some of the men, have a few rounds; but I
have none, nor has Rupert."
"Then we must use the stones. Fortunately I thought of them," cried
Percy, undaunted. "I only hope that the Zulus won't suspect that our
ammunition is exhausted."
No sooner did the besiegers again venture under the walls, than the
showers of stones which clattered down on their heads made them once
more beat a rapid retreat; but those who threw them had to expose
themselves far more than before, and many were wounded by the assegais
of the savages, who kept hurling them from a distance which the stones
could not reach.
Captain Broderick had escaped unhurt. He was seen everywhere firing his
rifle as long as he had a round left, encouraging his men, and finally
taking to stone-throwing.
But the Zulus were not long in discovering the want of ammunition among
the garrison; and now, confident of success, the main body, which had
hitherto been kept in reserve, rushed up to the attack, carrying ladders
for crossing the ditch and mounting the walls. Still Captain Broderick
encouraged his men to hold out.
"We will drive them back, my boys, notwithstanding," he shouted. He
sent Lionel with Biddy and two men to bring up a further supply of the
stones. "And tell your mother and sisters, on no account to leave the
house," he added. "Let them keep up their courage; for depend on it we
shall succeed in driving back the savages."
Although he said this, he could not help feeling how desperate was their
situation. On every side the Zulus appeared, their numbers greatly
increased since the last attack. They had in all probability been
waiting for reinforcements. They now thickly thronged round the walls,
and his fear was that they might even find their way to the rear of the
fort. Already nearly half the garrison had been wounded, two of whom he
had seen fall to the ground, while others, weakened by loss of blood,
had scarcely strength to hurl the stones down on the heads of their
assailants. At length for the first time he began to despair of
successfully defending the fort. As a last resource he resolved to
summon the whole of the garrison, and to retire into the house, which he
hoped to be able to defend with fixed bayonets and the assegais thrown
into the fort. Still, as yet, not a Zulu had got inside, but at any
moment they might make their way over the stockade.
Just then loud shouts were heard on the left, followed by a rattling
fire of musketry, and the Zulus, who had nearly gained the stockade,
dropped down, almost together, some falling into the water, others
scrambling back by the way they had come. The shouts increased.
"Erin-go-bragh!" cried a voice from below.
"It's Denis, I'm sure of it," exclaimed Percy. "Hurrah! he must have
come with Hendricks, and they have managed to cross the river unseen by
the savages. The Zulus have evidently been seized with a panic. I
daresay they fancy that a larger force has come to our relief, so
thought it wise to bolt without stopping to count heads."
Percy was right in his conjecture.
"Let down the drawbridge!" cried Denis; "the enemy have scampered off
like wild fowl, though only Hendricks, my father, and our men, with
myself, have been peppering them."
The drawbridge was quickly lowered, and Denis was the first to cross,
followed by the hunter and Mr Maloney, together with twenty well-armed
Kaffirs and Hottentots.
"Having arrived soon after nightfall on the opposite side of the river,
and camped, we were aroused by the sound of the firing, and guessing
what was occurring, we managed to push across the stream just in time,
it appears, to render you the assistance which I am delighted to have
afforded," said Hendricks. "We must take care, however, that the enemy
do not attack our waggons, although I don't think they'll have the heart
to do that. We'll bring them across the first thing to-morrow morning;
meantime we must follow up the rascals, and prevent them from rallying.
If any of your men can accompany us, we shall be glad of their aid; but
if not, we are sufficiently strong to do the work ourselves."
"There's one will go with you," exclaimed Vermack, "and that's myself.
Give me some ammunition, and let me get sight of the fellows, and I'll
make every bullet do its work." Four of the garrison only were capable
of accompanying Hendricks, who without loss of time led his party out of
the fort. They pushed forward at a rapid rate; but had not got far
before daylight broke, and the enemy were seen far ahead, evidently
intending to recross the river a considerable way from the farm. He
judged, consequently, that there would be ample time to pass over the
waggons and the rest of his party, before they could make their way up
the east bank to impede the operation.
Few braver or more enterprising men than Hendricks the hunter were to be
found, but at the same time he was ever anxious to avoid bloodshed; he
therefore, greatly to old Vermack's disappointment, returned at once to
the farm.
A sad scene was revealed by the light of day inside the fort. Two of
the defenders lay dead, fallen from the platform to the ground, and a
third desperately wounded with an assegai through his breast, and who
had hitherto been unobserved, lay gasping out his life. But sadder
still was the spectacle near the gateway. There lay the Zulu chief,
Mangaleesu, with his faithful Kalinda leaning over him, the blood
flowing from a wound in her side mingling with his, which, regardless of
her own injury, she had been endeavouring to stanch. Just as she was
discovered she fell forward lifeless on the body of her husband.
"Och! the poor creature's kilt intirely," cried Biddy, who with Percy
and Lionel had hurried to assist her. "Och ahone! it's cruel to see one
so loving and true struck down. Yet it's better so than for her to have
lived and mourned the loss of her husband."
Biddy said this as she raised the inanimate body of the young Zulu
woman, and found, on placing a hand on her heart, that her spirit had
fled.
Percy and Lionel knelt by the side of their friend, whom they at first
hoped might have merely fainted from loss of blood; but after feeling
his pulse and heart, with unfeigned sorrow they were convinced that he
was dead. Others soon joined them, and carried the two corpses into the
room they had inhabited, there to wait their burial.
There had hitherto been but little time to welcome Denis, or to hear how
his father had been recovered.
"Sure we didn't recover him, he recovered himself," answered Denis to
the questions put to him. "He had been far away to the north of
Oliphants river, where, after having lost his oxen and fallen sick, he
was detained by an Amatonga chief, a regular savage, who from mere
wantonness used once a month to threaten to put him to death if his
friends did not send the heavy ransom he demanded, while all the time he
was detaining the messengers my father endeavoured to despatch to
Maritzburg. Wonderful however to relate, the savage chief became a
Christian through the influence of a native missionary, who had made his
way into that region. On this he at once released my father, supplied
him with fresh oxen, and enabled him to fill up his waggon with tusks
and skins. He had a long journey south, and reached Hendricks' camp the
very day after Captain Broderick left it. I was about to return with
him to Maritzburg, while Hendricks intended to proceed on to the
north-west, when, just as we were separating, Onoko, the same Kaffir who
brought the message to you a short time ago, came to our camp with the
information that a large body of Zulus were marching, bent on the
destruction of this farm, in consequence of Mangaleesu and his wife
having found refuge here.
"Hendricks, who would scarcely believe the report, sent out a couple of
scouts to ascertain its truth, which, however, on their return they
fully confirmed. We immediately, therefore, set out in this direction.
Hendricks, I suspect, was not slightly influenced by remembering that
Lionel was with you, and that should the Zulus succeed in their attempt
he would be sacrificed with the rest of you."
Some time was occupied by Hendricks and Maloney in passing over their
waggons, which were brought within the fortifications, when the oxen and
horses under a strong guard were turned out to graze, all the men who
could be spared being employed in burying the dead at some distance from
the farm.
A grave was dug for Mangaleesu and Kalinda, on a tree-shaded mound, a
short distance from the farm. Mrs Broderick, while sincerely grieving
for their death, had the satisfaction of knowing from the testimony they
had given, that they had both become true, if not very enlightened,
Christians, and would there rest in peace in the sure hope of a glorious
resurrection.
Hendricks, who was known and respected throughout Zululand, anxious for
the safety of his friends, considered it a wise course to send an envoy
to the Zulu chief, Mapeetu, who had led, he ascertained, the attack on
the farm, to ask why he had thus endeavoured to injure his neighbours
the English. The envoy was directed at the same time casually to refer
to the death of Mangaleesu and Kalinda.
Mapeetu, attended by two of his counsellors, three days afterwards made
his appearance at Falls Farm. He expressed his regret at what had
happened, and he hoped, he said, now the cause of enmity had ceased,
that they might live in future on friendly terms with the white chief
and his retainers.
Captain Broderick replied that he felt much satisfaction at hearing
this; but he observed to Hendricks--
"I don't intend to trust the fellow a bit the more for all his
protestations; but shall be as much on the watch as ever, and will take
care to have an ample supply of arms and ammunition, while I will keep
up the stockade which have just done such good service."
While Hendricks, not wishing again to enter Zululand, set off to cross
the Drakensberg, Mr Maloney proceeded towards Maritzburg, promising, to
the great delight of Denis, that having disposed of his goods, he would
return to settle in the neighbourhood of Falls Farm.
The Zulus were shortly after this confined to a narrower space of
territory, and Falls Farm, the scene of the stirring events lately
described, became the centre of a thriving agricultural district. Helen
and Maud married respectively Crawford and Denis, who settled on farms
of their own, and Lionel with his brothers, in course of time also
established themselves in the district. They all succeeded, though like
other settlers subjected to various ups and downs, and Lionel had the
satisfaction of watching over the declining years of his foster-father,
Hendricks the hunter.