elivered 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