CHILDREN'S COLUMN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9494, 25 April 1894, Page 3

CHILDREN'S COLUMN.

TWO AGAINST FIVE HUNDRED. . [BY HEKRY WILLAKD FRENCH.] Someone had made a mistake. " Someone had blundered." We were forcing our way through the enemy's country in three divisions, under orders to locate a forb a hundred miles inland. Late one afternoon our signal corps returned from a lookout and reported that the central division was throwing up earthworks upon high land about 14 mile 3 away, and that they expected some sharp fighting. Lively times are what a war correspondent is after, and I resolved to cross that 14 miles before morning, and join the central division, where I really belonged. • The first eight miles or so were without incident. Now and then a shadow appeared, moving among the trees, but nothing more till I was suddenly brought to a stand by the sharp yelp of a young lion as he leaped upon an antelope, sleeping in a mossy hollow some 50 feet beyond. I was still among the trees, but a moment later should have stepped out into the open space, and if the whelp had waited a minute he would have found me right in range. As I stood listening to the scurrying feet of the rest of the deer starting off, there was another yelp and another. They were not like the earth-shaking roar of an old lion, bub more like the savage snarl of a large dog many times magnified. It was evidently a family of young lions that had been set adrift by tho old folks while they brought up another litter ; or possibly the parents might be close at hand, denying themselves, for once, while they gave the youngsters a sort of kindergarten in the art of marketing. In that case it would be more than life was worth to interrupt the harmony of the occasion by attempting to pass within Bight or sound of them.

There was no great cause for haste, and I decided to take advantage of the tree beside me and make myself at home upon a safe perch. I was none too quick. The air was suddenly split, and the forest shook, with a crashing roar. It was not light enough to see distinctly, bub it was evident that the old gentleman (or some other old gentleman) proposed to take possession of the prizes, and with sharp, squealing cries of disapointment the young fry decamped. I made myself as comfortable as possible, braced where I could not fall, and after a long struggle fell asleep. With a start I woke. It was almost sunrise. And hark ! That was no lion. As sure as fate it was the rattle of a native war drum, the hum of voices and the crunching of feet. I looked down into the open space. A dozen or more native warriors were there, preparing to build a fire and others were constantly appearing. Then the drummers came in sight and the main body after them. As nearly as I could count there were fully 500. They were preparing far breakfasb. It made me ravenously hungry. Every muscle in me ached, but I hardly dared to move. Many of them were well armed. I was nob near enough to catch a syllable, for they spoke in a low tone, unusual as it is among natives. Evidently they were impressed with the gravity of their mission. Undoubtedly it was an attack upon the earthworks, a few hours' march away. After their morning devotions and breakfast they would start for the attack. If I waited bill they moved on I should be behind them all day, a position which might prove decidely disagreeable. If I could got ahead of them and warn our forces it would be an advantage to them and fix a feather in my own cap, too. I resolved to try. Reaching a large branch that stretched out into the jungle, away from the open, I crept out upon it till it sagged lower and lower. If it broke I was gone ; bub it did not break, and at last I lot myself down till my feet came within two yards of the soft spongy earth. Then I dropped. The romance was all gone. There had been a certain amount of pleasure in the trip the night before. It was a grave question of life and death now ; bub I reached the earthworks at last, faint with hunger, alinosb ready to die of thirst, and thoroughly worn oub from a night in the tree and a race of two hours and a-half through the soft and tangled jungle. The camp was wonderfully well located, crowning a low hill that apparently rose from a river bank upon the other side, formed of clear splintered rock. Ib was difficult climbing the cone at the best, and at one point the only practical approach was through a narrow cut between the ledges. Even in my desperate condition I noticed, with pride, the yawning mouth of a cannon lined down that defile. But there was no challenge, no shout of welcome even, as I clambered up the bank and floundered down upon the other side, literally plump in the face of a bronzed old English gunner, who was evidently sound asleep bill I appeared. He was the only mortal in sight! " Where's the rest of you ?" I gasped, looking about. " And if you come from the left wing, sir, I'd be better to say where is the rest of you ?" he replied, rising and looking down the hill in a bewildered way. It was some minutes before we fully understood each other and our circumstancs. Ib appeared that the commander had selected this spot for the fort and begun operations, when reports came of a native stronghold two days to the north, where the warriors were massing. Wishing to hold the position selected, he had signalled us to come and stand guard while ho moved north two days, did some sharp fighting, and returned. It was only a Blight error somewhere in the signal service, bub tho result of it was that the old gunner and myself were left alone to face the 500 savage warriors I had seen at breakfast in defence of the camp and a mass of luggage and ammunition which had been left behind, or to desert it and run, in the hope of saving ourselves.

" We can'b retreats, for we've no place to go to; bub we might hide somewhere till the boys come back," I suggested as a feeler, to find where the gunner stood. " And give up the gun the old man asked in astonishment that was most significant and satisfactory. " She's a powerful one," he added, laying his rough hand tenderly upon the cannon. " Well, we will nob desert her while we live," I replied. " Juab give me a gallon of water to drink and a bone to chew, and I'm with you to the end." Before I ha'd finished eating we heard the rattle of the war drum. The cannon was loaded to do its besb. Ten feet away, on either side, we gathered a half-dozen rifles each, and took the positions which had been prepared for the sentry, where loopholes had been left in the wall. Still further along we arranged our caps on sticks so that they would show above the wall and help us out. My first glance through the loophole showed me a native, armed with a longbarrelled, square butt gun, creeping stealthily along under cover of some rocks, making for my hab. Two others wore fol- # lowing close behind. Crouching on one* knee, the foremost fellow levelled at my vacant hat. That is an indignity which one instinctively resents as emphatically as if the gun were pointed at his head. The two behind him lay along the rock, each with a broad grin, waiting for the effect, when I fired.

The fellow sprang nearly five feeb into the air, with one yell, and dropped upon his back. The grin disappeared from the others as they scrambled to their feet to run, bub the gunner dropped one of them, and before the other was well started I caught up a fresh rifle and took him in the back. We waited ten minutes in absolute silence. Then there was a shrill cry from the jungle and the whole mass of underbrush bordering the hill seemed wriggling with life. Out they came, leaping, yelling, firing, brandishing clubs, guns, rifles, lances, and starting for a grand native dash up the hill. Some few of them leaped along the rocks, bub most of them followed the easier path up the ravine, which gradually massed them more and more closely in the defile before the cannon. From the moment they appeared I saw the folly of the course we were following, and nob being so ready as the old gunner to die in defence of a cannon, I heartily wished I had taken myself away. 5 " Wait till she speaks," he muttered, standing by the gun. " Then we'll go for them as are outside with the rifles." The few that we could kill out of thab multitude would matter little at the best.

Our Uvea would nob be worth a straw, either way, when they reached us, so I accepted his advice and patiently watched and waited. The howls were something frightful. The whole gorge was now one solid mass of frantic savagep, just civilised enough bo use a gun ; bub the old. man stood there as calm and stolid as a rock. One would have thought that he had the whole detachment ab his heels, and even then that he was a brave man. One hand rested on the cannon, the other on his hip, till the black fiends were within 100 feeb of us.

"Now then, old girl," he muttered, and the cannon crashed with a thunder that for an instant seemed like a broadside..

Quick as thought the old man sprang from the gun to the loophole and caught up one of the rifle 3. It called me to myself and without waiting to see the effect of the shoj I opened fire. There were six rifles lying beside me. Five of them did good execution, bub by the time that I caught up the sixth there was not a living native in sight, except one poor wounded fellow who ( was dragging himself towards the bushes. I had nob the heart to fire ab him. "You'll have to help me, sir, to fill her up," said the gunner, and as I came to his aid he added, " I told you she was powerful." " Powerful!" I looked down the ravine and drew back with a shudder of horror. If I were to try to report the scene it would not be believed. The cannon had simply been packed, loaded. with bullets. The range was less than 100 feeb and down hill. The effect? Wriggling, squirming, groaning, torn and bleeding, or still in death, lay one mass of naked savages. Yes, we would fill her up again. With such a thing as that bo help us there was hope, after all, even for two against 500 Then we reloaded the rifles and sat down again to wait. If the gunner himself had suggested retreating then I should have refused. lb was worth one's while to stand in defence of such a gun as that. "They'll be back for more in a minute, bub it's welcome they are," muttered the gunner and we waited. Bub they did nob come back in a minute. We waited in fear and trembling all day and all night and the next day. They did nob come back at all. Why, we never could learn. lb did nob matter. The important fact was that they did not come back and that we held the fort. And if ever again lam pitted as one of two against 500 which heaven forbid— I sincerely hope thab the other one may be the old gunner with his powerful gun, Frank Leslie's Weekly.