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