ion in
which the General had marched, cantered right into the camp where
the tents were still standing and even the flag was flying. I
longed to be able to warn him, but could not. He rode up to the
headquarters marquee, whence suddenly issued a Zulu waving a
great spear. I saw the officer pull up his horse, remain for a
moment as though indecisive, then turn and gallop madly away,
quite unharmed, though one or two assegais were thrown and many
shots fired at him. After this considerable movements of the
Zulus went on, of which the net result was, that they evacuated
the place.

Now I hoped that I might escape, but it was not to be, since on
every side numbers of them crept up Isandhlwana Mountain and hid
behind rocks or among the tall grasses, evidently for purposes of
observation. Moreover some captains arrived on the little
plateau where was the cave in which the soldier had been killed,
and camped there. At least at sundown they unrolled their mats
and ate, though they lighted no fire.

The darkness fell and in it escape for me from that guarded place
was impossible, since I could not see where to set my feet and
one false step on the steep rock would have meant my death. From
the direction of Rorke's Drift I could hear continuous firing;
evidently some great fight was going on there, I wondered
vaguely--with what result. A little later also I heard the
distant tramp of horses and the roll of gun wheels. The captains
below heard it too and said one to another that it was the
English soldiers returning, who had marched out of the camp at
dawn. They debated one with another whether it would be possible
to collect a force to fall upon them, but abandoned the idea
because the regiments who had fought that day were now at a
distance and too tired, and the others had rushed forward with
orders to attack the white men on and beyond the river.

So they lay still and listened, and I too lay still and listened,
for on that cloudy, moonless night I could see nothing. I heard
smothered words of command. I heard the force halt because it
could not travel further in the gloom. Then they lay down, the
living among the dead, wondering doubtless if they themselves
would not soon be dead, as of course must have happened had the
Zulu generalship been better, for if even five thousand men had
been available to attack at dawn not one of them could have
escaped. But Providence ordained it otherwise. Some were taken