world to fight the English, since it will bring his country to
destruction and himself to disgrace and death, as at last, in the
words of your proverb, 'the swimmer goes down with the stream.'"

Here, as it happened, I slipped off the stone on which I was
standing and nearly went down with the stream myself.

Emerging with my mouth full of muddy water I waited till they had
done laughing and continued--

"Tell that old rogue, Zikali, that I know he has murdered my
friends and that when we meet again he and all who were in the
plot shall pay for it with their lives."

Now an irritated Zulu flung an assegai, and as the range proved
to be shorter than I thought, for it went through Kaatje's dress,
causing her to scream with alarm, I ceased from eloquence, and we
struggled on to the further bank, where at length we were safe.

Thus ended this unlucky trip of mine to Zululand.

CHAPTER XVIII

ISANDHLWANA

We had crossed the Tugela by what is known as the Middle Drift.
A mile or so on the further side of it I was challenged by a
young fellow in charge of some mounted natives, and found that I
had stumbled into what was known as No. 2 Column, which consisted
of a rocket battery, three battalions of the Native Contingent
and some troops of mounted natives, all under the command of
Colonel Durnford, R.E.

After explanations I was taken to this officer's head-quarter
tent. He was a tall, nervous-looking man with a fair, handsome
face and long side-whiskers. One of his arms, I remember, was
supported by a sling, I think it had been injured in some Kaffir
fighting. When I was introduced to him he was very busy, having,
I understood from some one on his staff, just received orders to
"operate against Matshana."

Learning that I had come from Zululand and was acquainted with
the Zulus, he at once began to cross-examine me about Matshana, a
chief of whom he seemed to know very little indeed. I told him
what I could, which was not much, and before I could give him any
information of real importance, was shown out and most hospitably
entertained at luncheon, a meal of which I partook with gratitude
in some garments that I had borrowed from one of the officers,
while my own were set in the sun to dry. Well can I recall how
much I enjoyed the first whisky and soda that I had tasted since
I left "the Temple," and the good English food by which it was
accompanied.

Presently I remembered Kaatje, whom