The Young Colonists: A Story of the Zulu and Boer Wars Read online

table-land. A precipice, inaccessible to a white man,guarded the right flank; on the left a succession of steep terraces hadbeen utilised and carefully intrenched, each successive line commandingthat below it. At one end there was a narrow slip of land swept by two7-pounders. Immediately in the rear, upon an eminence 120 feet higherthan the fort, was a small work, armed with two guns. The campconsisted of an outer defence of 100 waggons, and an inner one offifty--the whole protected by earthworks and ditches.

  CHAPTER SEVEN.

  KAMBULA.

  Immediately Oham's Zulu had made his report, the bugle sounded, and thegarrison quietly and quickly took up the places assigned to them.Messengers went out to order a fatigue-party, which had gone outwood-cutting, to return at once. These men reported that they had seenthe Zulus scouting, about five miles to the west. The tents werestruck, the men lined the shelter-trenches, and ammunition was servedout by fatigue-parties told off for this duty. The white conductors andcommissariat men, most of whom were old settlers and good shots, weretold off to the different faces of the laager. A small party wereprovided with stretchers, in order to carry the wounded to the hospitalin the centre.

  Dick and Tom, having no duty and being without arms, thought that theymight as well make themselves useful at this work, and therefore, takinga stretcher, they proceeded to one of the outer shelter-trenches.

  It was nearly eleven o'clock when the Zulus were seen approaching, andhalted just out of musket-range. Here apparently a council of war washeld, and it was more than an hour before any forward movement was made.Then a body of them, about 7000 strong, ran at a tremendous pace alonga ledge situated at the edge of the cultivated land. The troops wereordered not to fire, as it was thought better to wait until the Zuluscame on in earnest. At half-past one a cloud of skirmishers advancedfrom the Zulu army, and fed by supports began to scale the north frontof the English position. Here, behind the outermost line ofintrenchments, some of Buller and Russell's dismounted men, and aportion of the band of the gallant Piet-Uys were stationed, and theseopened fire upon the Zulus. Scarcely one of them but was a dead-shot,and no sooner did a head or a shield appear above rock or boulder ortuft of grass than the deadly rifle rang out, and in most cases therewas an enemy the less to encounter.

  The Boers particularly distinguished themselves at this work. Most ofthese men are certain shots, being trained from childhood in the use oftheir large single-barrelled guns, carrying an enormous bullet, andsuited for the destruction of big game. Animated by a hatred of theZulus, and a longing for vengeance for the death of their late leader,the Boers picked off their foes with unerring aim. The enemy'sskirmishers now retired, and a more solid line took their place,supported by a dense column in its rear. The cavalry remounted and fellslowly back, and Major Russell, with twenty of his men, made a brilliantcharge on a party of Zulus who were running to take possession of asheltering ledge of rocks, and, after cutting down a great many,retreated without the loss of a man.

  Buller and Russell now retired slowly within the laager, their retreatbeing covered by Colonel Gilbert and four companies of the 13th, whowere posted at this face of the works. One company of the 13th, underCaptain Cox, held the cattle-laager, which was situated outside theline, and so were able to take the enemy in flank, as they attacked themain work. This little garrison and Colonel Gilbert's men poured atremendous fire upon the Zulus, who still, however, pushed forward.

  Major Hackett was now ordered to take a couple of companies of the 90th,and to advance up the slope, round the rear of the cattle-laager.Taking post here, they opened a deliberate and deadly fire upon theenemy, and then advancing drove back the Zulus with great loss. TheZulu general, however, led a party of his best marksmen round to hisright, and opened a heavy fire upon the 90th, as they fell back upontheir intrenchments. Lieutenant Bright fell mortally wounded, and inrunning forward to pick him up Major Hackett was struck by a ballsideways, which passed through both eyes and destroyed his sight forever. Meanwhile, from the works on the heights, Captain Nicholson wasdoing great execution with his two 7-pounders. The Zulu main body hadnow come within range, and grape and canister were poured into theirheavy masses. As Nicholson was standing on the parapet, field-glass inhand, directing the pointing of two guns, a bullet struck him on thetemple and he fell dead. He was seen from the laager to fall, and MajorVaughan was sent to take his place. Major Tremlett, R.A., now took thefour guns, hitherto held in reserve, to a small piece of rising groundoutside the laager, and opened fire upon the masses of the enemy withimmense execution. From time to time Buller and Russell, as they sawopenings for a charge, swept down and drove the enemy's skirmishers backon to their main body; the Zulus, altogether unaccustomed to cavalry,always falling back precipitately at these assaults.

  At three o'clock a hot cross-fire was opened upon a company commanded byCaptain Woodgate, which was stationed half-way between the laager andthe upper fort, keeping open a communication between them, the enemy'sfire from a height commanding this line being particularly galling. Twoof Tremlett's guns were brought to bear on the point, and the enemy'sfire speedily slackened. For another hour and a half the troopscontinued to be hotly engaged, for the enemy, when driven back from oneflank, swept round in most perfect order and attacked another.

  At half-past four the Zulus, concentrating again, attacked the northernside, and made some desperate rushes up to the muzzles of the Englishrifles, and the fighting for a time was almost hand to hand.

  The boys had worked round with their stretchers, wherever the fire washardest, and had carried many wounded men into hospital. They were atthe north face when the Zulus swarmed up towards it, and Woodgate's menfell back into the shelter of the laager. As they came in, a younglieutenant, who was commanding the rear, fell, apparently dead. Beingin the rear of the company his fall was unnoticed by the men. Dick, whowas peering over the intrenchment, saw him fall, and saw too that hemoved slightly.

  "Quick, Tom!" he exclaimed; and, carrying the stretcher, the boysscrambled over the breastwork and ran towards the officer. He hadfallen some twenty yards outside, and the Zulus, rushing on, were buteighty yards away.

  On reaching the side of the young officer, the boys laid their stretcheron the ground, rolled him upon it, and, lifting it, turned towards thecamp. A ringing cheer from the men had greeted this action, mingledwith shouts of "Run! run!" for by this time the Zulus were but twentyyards behind.

  A stream of fire broke out from the top of the breastworks; an assegaiwhizzed over Dick's shoulder, and another grazed Tom's arm, but theyhurried on until they reached the ditch, and then threw themselves andtheir burden down. There for five or six minutes they lay, while thefight raged above them. Then the British cheer rose, and the boys knewthat the Zulus had fallen back.

  A minute later a dozen men leapt from the intrenchment into the ditchoutside, and lifted the wounded lieutenant over it into the arms ofthose behind.

  "Bravo! boys, bravo!" a hundred voices shouted, as the boys scrambledback into the works, while the men crowded round to pat them on theshoulder and shake their hands.

  It was evident now that the Zulu fire was slackening, and threecompanies of the 13th went out, and, taking posts by the edge of theslope of the cattle-laager, opened fire upon them, as they retired.Every gun was brought to bear upon them, and as, disheartened andbeaten, they fell back, Buller and Russell, with every mounted man incamp, sallied out and fell upon them, and, burning with the desire towipe out their misfortune of the preceding day, chased them for sevenmiles, like a flock of sheep, cutting down immense numbers.

  It was ascertained afterwards from prisoners that the Zulu force whichattacked was composed of 25,000 men. It was commanded by Tyangwaiyo,with Umbelleni as his second. Many of the leading chiefs of Zululandand 3000 of the king's bravest and best troops fell in the attack onKambula, and this battle was by far the hottest and best-contested whichtook place during the war.

  Upon our side two officers and twenty-one men were kille
d. Thedifference between the result of the action at Kambula and that atIsandula was due entirely to the fact that in one case every precautionwas taken, every means of defence utilised; while in the other no moreattention was paid to any of these points than if the troops had beenencamped at Aldershot.

  Upon the day following the battle Colonel Wood set his men to work toerect further defences at the points which the recent action had shownto be weak, and never ceased work until the place had been made almostimpregnable against an assault of savages, however brave.

  The messenger who carried to Natal the news of the victory of Kambulaalso took letters from the boys to their parents, acquainting them oftheir safety; and with the first convoy of wounded on the following daythe boys started for home, Colonel Wood having given to each aflattering testimonial as to their gallant conduct in the action, andhaving presented them with two horses belonging to men of Buller's