lus; and, from their movements. I had no doubt
they were in search of me, as they repeatedly stopped and pointed to the
bluff. As this party advanced along the shore, to a point opposite that
on which was my hut, I thought out what was the best course for me to
adopt. The Zulus would have to swim across the channel in order to land
near where my hut was situated; and, if I had only been backed with two
or three men with guns, I could have defied the whole of this party, and
either shot them as they were swimming or when they landed. To adopt
this plan single-handed would, I knew, be useless. I might shoot
perhaps half a dozen of them, but the others would close in on me and
assagy me before I could reload. If they did not do this, they would
lie in ambush; and when I moved near them, would assagy me when my back
was turned. It would not do, therefore, to stop and fight. Having come
to this conclusion, I waited to see the chief of this party order his
men into the water, so that they should swim across the channel. I then
crept back to my hut to get my gun and ammunition and two assagies. I
concealed the other assagies and scattered the embers of my fire, so
that the Zulus should not by that know how lately I had been there. I
then walked backwards for some distance, and, scrambling down the
sea-face of the bluff, reached the shore; and, keeping as much as
possible on the rocks, so as to leave no footmarks, I started at a run
towards the west. My intention was to make for the Umbilo river, and
work up this to the Berea bush. There was an immense amount of cover in
the Berea, and elephant-paths in numbers. If I could conceal my trail I
might remain in this bush for a long time without being discovered.
There were plenty of berries also that were good to eat, and water would
not fail me. Once on my trail, I knew the Zulus too well to doubt their
searching for me for weeks; but near the Umlass river were Caffres who
would soon dispose of these fifty Zulus. But I did not want to be again
taken among any tribe of Caffres. My instincts now induced me to wish
to rejoin white men. A little savage life for a change is agreeable;
too much of it soon tires a man who has once enjoyed civilisation.

I did not fear being overtaken by the Zulus; for they would ascend the
steep bluff to my hut very cautiously, and would then be some time
before they hit off my trail, so I had a good long start of them. What
I did fear,