Tshaka spread out black on all hands, covering
the ground as it were a swarm of young locusts--sweeping on now in a
huge half-circle as it were of the black waves of the sea.

"But our leader had mustered his fighting strength, and was rapidly
moving up to the place he had fixed upon as his battle-ground. This was
to be the entrance of the pass by which our flight should continue, for
there, the lay of the ground being high and steep, a few determined
fighters could repel the attacks of many; and besides this, another
species of defence had been organised by the strategy and forethought of
our chief.

"I saw the huge _impi_ surround and burst upon our principal kraals, and
I laughed aloud, for in them none remained save the very old. These
were put to the assegai in a moment, and then our intending destroyers
held on their way to where our warriors awaited them, on the steep sides
of the pass I have described, concealed by thick bush. But they could
not believe that we meant fighting. All they had to do was to overtake
us and slaughter us as we fled. How mistaken they were--ah, yes, how
mistaken!

"For as the foremost of their host streamed carelessly forward, not
waiting for its supports, our chief gave the word, and immediately from
the bush which flanked the way on either side there poured two large
bodies of our younger and most fiery warriors, to the number of about
two thousand. The advance guard of the King's _impi_, taken thus by
surprise and also in flank, was thrown into utter confusion. But ah!
while it lasted, it was as though two seas had met--the shock and the
surging, the crash of shields and the splintering of spears, the roars
and the hissing of the war-whistles! Ha! they fought--ah, yes, they
fought; but we rolled them back, crushed and scattered, upon the main
body, and before it could charge forward we were in position again, this
time higher up the pass. But the ground was covered with the dead.

"`My children are young lions indeed! The first blow struck for a new
kingdom is a hard one.'

"Such was the word which our chief caused to be passed round for our
encouragement.

"Still the King's _impi_ could not understand that we intended seriously
to give battle; and indeed, as we gazed forth upon this immense sea of
tossing spears and tufted shields rolling up towards us, it was little
to be wondered at. For we were as a mouthful to it. Yet every man of
us was fighting for his life