第21部分(第3/7 頁)

　vrouw　who　washed　our　clothes　in　the　garden　of　“The　Palatial”　and　went　out　to　speak　to　her。　The　fat　old　woman　was　in　a　great　state　of　perturbation；　and　when　I　asked　her　what　was　the　matter；　she　told　me　that　terrible　things　had　happened　in　Zululand；　that　the　“rooibatjes；”　that　is；　redcoats；　lay　upon　the　plain　“like　leaves　under　the　trees　in　winter；”　killed　by　Cetewayo。　I　inquired　when　the　event　had　occurred；　and　she　replied；　on　the　previous　day。　I　told　her　that　she　was　speaking　falsehoods；　since　even　if　it　were　so　no　horse　could　have　brought　the　news　over　two　hundred　miles　of　veld　in　the　course　of　a　single　night。　She　stuck　to　her　story　but　refused　to　tell　me　how　it　had　been　learned　by　her；　and　we　parted。

The　old　woman’s　manner　impressed　me　so　much　that　I　ordered　a　horse　to　be　saddled　and；　riding　down　to　the　Government　offices；　repeated　what　I　had　heard　to　Mr。　Osborn　and　others。　They　too　said　that　it　was　not　possible　for　the　tidings　to　have　e　to　Pretoria　in　the　time。　Still　they　were　uneasy；　thinking　that　something　might　have　happened　at　an　earlier　date；　and　made　inquiries　without　results。　I　believe　it　was　twenty　hours　later　that　a　man　on　an　exhausted　horse　galloped　into　Pretoria　with　the　evil　news。

How　did　the　old　Hottentot　woman　learn　the　truth？　It　could　not　have　been　called　from　mountain…top　to　mountain…top　after　the　Kaffir　fashion；　since　the　intervening　country　was　high　veld　where　there　are　no　mountains。　I　have　no　explanation　to　offer；　except　that　the　natives　have；　or　had；　some　almost　telegraphic　method　of　conveying　news　of　important　events　of　which　the　nature　is　quite　unknown　to　us　white　men。

The　consternation　at　Pretoria　was　very　great；　especially　as　the　news　reached　us　in　a　much…exaggerated　form。　No　wonder　that　we　were　perturbed；　since　there　wer