arty immediately set off. They
were watched anxiously from the fort until they were out of sight.

A couple of hours quickly passed, during which time Percy, accompanied
by Lionel, had kept constant watch from the platform. Suddenly Lionel,
who was looking through the glass, exclaimed--

"I see some of the Zulus moving to the westward. Depend upon it they
have discovered Crawford, and from where he is he cannot see them."

Percy, taking a look through the glass, exclaimed--

"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
b