Part 44 (1/2)
”The chiefs white ht coolly, warily, in a crisis of the battle, knowing that, if he gave back an inch, the men behind him would bolt, and Hassan's horde would swarm into the valley
”Hurrah, my brave lads!” he roared ”You there behind, meet the white men and lead them up to the place where I first stood”
”Yebo Inkose! (yes, chief)” cried a Zulu of the Angoni
Thus the chief's ”whiteheavily, who led the, others silent--led thee that overlooked the ene at the Zulu, and in the better light noticing the wounds on his head and left arm
The Zulu pointed down ”Fire, O white men, between that tree and the rock There they are thickest”
The two rifles flashed out simultaneously
”Hurrah!” roared the Hunter froazines,” said Venning between his teeth; and the Lee- Metfords poured out a little rain of thin bullets into a space between the tree and the rock
”Yavuma!” cried the Zulu
”Yavuma!” roared the Hunter ”Stand fire and peered down into the gloom, out of which came the shouts of the ene ith the attack An arrow struck on the rock, then another
”The tree,” he said, pointing into a great tree-top ”Let one chief fire into the tree and the other at the white spot”
”I see the white spot,” said Co riddled the tree-top, out of which at the discharge ,” came the command from below ”Now, my children, forward once more They run”
”They run!” shouted Muata's men, as they swept out from the defile after Mr Hu Compton by the aruns where the white is; and, see, others join them Quick! Shoot, white men, or they slay our friends”
A flaathered, and the Lee-Metfords were not idle The little bullets rang into the place where those white-robed Arabs aiting with their rifles, and before they could play their part, the beaten van of their assaulting party broke upon the fro of the men he had decoyed into the valley, raised the shout of victory, and the two boys went down into the gorge to join in the throng of exultant and excited warriors
”Way for the chief's whitefrom his hurts
”Bayate! to the whitetheir spears
”We are no chiefs men,” said Co the words ”Lion's cub, I hear Ye shall have the chief's feather; and the great one, where is he?”
Out of the darkness beyond ca of the reat one,” ”Lion-throated,”
”He whose roar filled the valley,” and so on, until they recognized the form of their chief, when very wisely they directed their praise to his deeds
Mr Hu, stepped up and gripped hands with the boys
”We go to our house on the hill, chief,” he said
”There will be feasting to-night, my brothers, and your places will be beside the chief,” said Muata