nding not to have seen them, they looked about on the ground as
though searching for something. The Zulus soon perceived the three men,
and taking advantage of the bushes dodged from one to another, till
within a hundred yards of the supposed unsuspicious Kaffirs. Suddenly
the Natal Kaffirs, giving a shout of alarm, ran back towards where their
people were concealed, but not with such speed as to make their pursuers
imagine pursuit would be useless. A race then commenced, in which the
Natal Kaffirs had more than once to use their utmost speed, on account
of the number of their enemy, and to keep beyond the effective range of
an assagy. At length the three men ran past the bushes among which
their companions were concealed, and one of them uttering a shrill
whistle, the pursuing Zulus suddenly found themselves face to face with
five times their number of those who, though almost of the same race,
were now their deadly enemies. The trained Zulus were not the men,
however, to be slaughtered like sheep. They immediately closed
together, and feeling after their late run that they stood no chance of
escaping by speed from men who had been lying quiet whilst they had been
running, determined to fight where they were. Shortening their grasp on
their assagies, they moved slowly forwards against the Natal force, a
fine example of trained savages. Berg, upon seeing this, called to his
people, who were between him and the Zulus, to lie down. The Natalians
having learnt to trust their Dutch masters, obeyed instantly, when Berg
and his companions fired a volley at the Zulus with the usual effect.
Three Zulus fell dead, and one rolled on the ground mortally wounded.
The Natal Kaffirs instantly started to their feet, and rushed on to
their enemies, and for a minute a scene of skill and agility was
exhibited, such as is rarely witnessed by white men. The two opposing
parties met, and rapidly exchanged thrusts, which were, however, parried
by the ox-hide shield, which, held sideways, turned the stab. Here and
there an assagy was hurled at a foe with deadly aim and great velocity,
but the Kaffir seeing its approach, either sprang on one side, and thus
avoided it, or received it obliquely on his shield, and sent it glancing
in another direction. Where there was no great difference in the style
of weapons used, or in the skill of the combatants, numbers very soon
decided the encounter, and in less than two minutes only two or three