COWARD OR HERO? A REMINISCENCE OF THE ZULU WAR.

Otago Witness, Issue 1994, 12 May 1892, Page 38

COWARD OR HERO? A REMINISCENCE OF THE ZULU WAR.

They called him Little Binks in the regiment. Not to his face, though, for almost every one liked him too well. Not that Binks was exactly a small man physically. But he was short, with rather broad shoulders and long arms, disproportionate to bis height.

Little Binks had peculiarities— who of us has not 1 But his were of a' nature that in a roistering regiment like the one which he had joined at the opening of the Zulu campaign made him at first a trifle unpopular with his fellow officers.

Little Binks was alone in the world. He hadn't any one at home ; not even a sweetheart. He had, 60 it was whispered, been engaged to a lovely girl who had " thrown him over" for Major Trevitt. And the major, of course, knew all about it.

The Zulu army had gathered in force near the border of the Nazembi district. Burrows' mounted infantry, with an artillery corps and three companies of the Thirteenth Dragoons, were holding the fortifications only a mile away, anxiously awaiting reinforcements. And there were rumours that the Zulus were meditating a sadden onBluigbt which should sweep the few handfuls of British iavaders from the sandy soil.

A dozsn or more of the rhirteentb, among whom were Little Binks and Major Trevitt, sat discussing the situation in front of the rude native barracks in the glow and splendour of an African moonlight. Major Trevitt, a tolerably abstemious man according to his light, was disposed to be scmewhat sentimental and remarkably selfcomplacent, after having disposed of a trifle more than hU usual allowance.

Binks, who sat a little apart, was unusually silent. Perhaps his thoughts were thousands of miles away from Zululand. Possibly he was thinking of the one bright episode in an otherwise lonely life. I mean, of course, the days when the fair but fickle Alice Ritchie had smiled — or seemed to — on bis suit. Of course for a little while he had lived in a fool's paradise, like many a wiser man. But, unlike the wiser man above mentioned, Little Binks had never lost bis faith in his love for the girl who had thrown him aside as she would a slightly worn glove. His belief in her was unbounded ; he would have died to serve her. " Alice 1 " It was Major Trevitt's voice, elevated a trifle above its usual pitch, in answer to something said by one of those next him — a very intimate friend and fellow officer. " Well, ye?, my boy," he went on in the same auiible tones, which somehow Little Binks had a fancy were intended for his own ear; "I rather flatter myself that her life, so to speak, is wrapped up in yours truly. Point of fact, she said in her last letter that it would simply break her heart outright if anything happened to your humble servant in this campaign." Pleasant for Little Binks, who firmly believed every word I Major Trevitt's friend was less credulous perhaps. He coughed drily and made no immediate response. "She never oared for Binks, don't you know?" continued the major, wh.i was unusually indiscreet this evening. "It was a bit of coquetry, just to lead the poor fellow on. Little Binks i 3 hardly the figure of a man to " . " I think you've said quite enough, Major Trevitt!" ..... Lieutenant Binks seemed quite six feet in height as, rising from his camp stool, he walked to the side of the astonished officer and broke in upon the conversation. No need to describe what followed — the angry, sneering reply, the hot word?, the blow. Major Trevitt, whose sunburnt cheek was tingliDg from the contact of Little Binks' fingers smartly applied, loucly demanded 11 the satisfaction due from one gentleman to another," while friends vainly tried to intercede. But, to the surprise of all present, little Binks would neither fight nor apologise. ... " The one is against my principles and

the other against my inclination," he said quietly. And the word " coward," I regret to say, was heard from more, than one pair of bearded lips— notably from Major Trevitt's.

But Little Binks only closed his own a triJlo tighter and retired to his quarter*.

It was a little after day dawn on the following morning when Lieutenant Binks, having posted his vedettes under his own pnrtjoiml supervision, rode forward a short (llntiuico in tho direction of a line of blue gum treofi, buyonr] which the enemy were prflHtwnod to bu miissiugin force. But everything looked ho qulutund peaceful. In fact, Mlnlcti fltiw no fign of It fo in any direction. Ho was about bringing out his field glass whin Major Trevitt rode up from &n opponlto direction at a xharp trot. Liltlfi Blnlca gravely saluted. Tho major scowled. "If you want, my plain, unvarnished opinion of you, Lieutenant Binks," he said, with gathering wrath, " 1 repeat what I said last night — you're an infernal coward, and "

All at onco from a ruinod kraal, half hidden in the underbrush between the two offic..-rd and the blue gum tree forest, there belched forth a tremendous fusilade.

Major Trevitt wheeled hi 3 horse sharply round, but a ball struck the animal in the fore shoulder, while another passed through the major's bridle arm, shattering the bone. Little Binks sprang from his sacdle like a cat, just in time to prevent the officer from beintj c-ushed by his falling steed. 'Save yourself, you thundering fool I" growled the major, as following the volley came a yelling, shrieking throng of halfnaked Zulus, brandishing their assegais, while at the same time anoiher lot, in ambush, kept up a continuous fire. If Binks heard he did not heed.

" You are wounded— into my saddle, quick ! " he exclaimed in tones hardly recognisable, so full of stern command were they. But the major was a fine figure of a man, while Binks himself was not a particularly light weight. And Binks 1 horse, by no means a strong one, was entirely unused to carrying double. He backed and reared; in fact, Jefu-efi duty entirely. There was but one resource — but one life could bo saved. "(jood-bye, Trevitt. God bless you— and Alice 1 Tell her good-bye." As one in a dream, Major Trevitt heard, or thought he heard, these words uttered in his dulled ear.

By his own account the major only remembered lurching heavily forward to the saddle bow, which he clutched with a literal death grip. The horse, relieved of part of his, burden, galloped ma3ly forward into the lines, hastened, perhaps, by the sting of a spent bullet that struck the frightened steed in the counter.

Major Trevitt was in a half-unconscious state from pain and loss of blood, when helped from the saddle. And it was not until the Zulu 3 bad been driven back to the kraal that Little Binks was discovered.

In his ri?ht hand was a revolver with emp'.y chamber?. Through his heart was an African assega', and about him lay, grim and ghastly, the lifeless bodies of five of Cetewavo's bravest Zulu warriors.

So Little Binks lies asleep under African sands. At his head is a simple grey stone, for which Major Trevitt paid at his own special request. But little Binksi' brother officers insisted upon supplying the wordp. Followhis name and the date of his death is this :—

•• Brave men do not boast nor blaster. Deeds, nob words, speak for suob.