exact words, only to find that he
had slunk off somewhere. A few minutes later he reappeared running back
towards us swiftly and, I noticed, taking shelter behind tree trunks and
rocks as he came.

"Baas," he gasped, for he was out of breath, "be careful, those Rezu men
are on either side ahead. I went forward and ran into them. They threw
many spears at me. Look!" and he showed a slight cut on his arm from
which blood was flowing.

Instantly I understood that we were ambushed and began to think very
hard indeed. As it chanced we were passing across a large flat space
upon the ridge, say seven or eight acres in extent, where the bush grew
lightly, though owing to the soil being better, the trees were tall.

On the steep slope below this little plain it seemed to be denser and
there it was, according to Hans, that the ambush was set. I halted my
regiment and sent back messengers to the others that they were to halt
also as they came up, on the pretext of giving them a rest before they
were marshalled and we advanced to the battle.

Then I told Umslopogaas what Hans said and asked him to send out his
Zulu soldier whom he could trust, to see if he could obtain confirmation
of the report. This he did at once. Also I asked him what he thought
should be done, supposing that it was true.

"Form the Amahagger into a ring or a square and await attack," he
answered.

I nodded, for that was my own opinion, but replied,

"If they were Zulus, the plan would be good. But how do we know that
these men will stand?"

"We know nothing, Macumazahn, and therefore can only try. If they run it
must be up-hill."

Then I called the captains and told them what was toward, which seemed
to alarm them very much. Indeed one or two of them wanted to retreat at
once, but I said I would shoot the first man who tried to do so. In
the end they agreed to my plan and said that they would post their best
soldiers above, at the top of the square, with the orders to stop any
attempt at a flight up the mountain.

After this we formed up the square as best we could, arranging it in
a rather rough, four-fold line. While we were doing this we heard some
shouts below and presently the Zulu returned, who reported that all
was as Hans had said and that Rezu's men were moving round us, having
discovered, as he thought, that we had halted and escaped their ambush.

Still the attack did not develop at once, for the reason that the Rezu
army was crawling