第31部分(第3/7 頁)

eard　the　guns　at　work　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　hill　Scheins　Hoogte；　about　eleven　miles　from　our　farm。　The　firing　was　very　heavy；　that　of　the　field…pieces　being　almost　unceasing；　as　was　the　crash　and　roll　of　the　rifles。　At　dusk　it　died　away。　Some　Kaffirs　came　to　Hilldrop　and　told　us　that　a　force　of　British　soldiers　were　surrounded　on　a　hill　in　the　Ingogo　River；　that　they　were　fighting　well；　but　that　“their　arms　were　tired。”　The　Kaffirs　added　that　they　would　all　be　killed　during　the　night。

I　have　told　the　story　of　Ingogo　in　“Cetewayo　and　his　White　Neighbours；”　and　I　cannot　tell　it　again；　indeed；　I　have　no　heart　to　do　so。　It　was　a　miserable　and　an　aimless　business；　as　we　heard　of　it　from　the　lips　of　the　survivors。

After　the　Ingogo　defeat；　when　the　wounded　were　left　lying　on　the　ground　through　the　raging　African　night；　the　Boers　invaded　Natal。　One　night；　in　the　stillness；　I　heard　the　galloping　of　a　vast　number　of　horses。　Some　five　hundred　of　the　enemy　had　taken　possession　of　the　next　farm　to　our　own；　which　they　looted。　The　Boers　had　descended　into　Natal；　in　order　to　attack　the　reinforcements。　We　colonists　saw　a　chance；　a　desperate　chance　it　is　true；　of　cutting　them　off；　or　at　any　rate　of　inflicting　great　damager　upon　them。　A　number　of　us　congregated　at　Newcastle　with　the　idea　of　forming　a　volunteer　corps。　I　was　very　doubtful　whether　I　ought　to　join；　seeing　what　were　my　family　responsibilities。　I　remember　my　young　wife　ing　out　of　the　house　into　the　garden；　where　some　of　us　were　talking　over　the　matter；　and　saying；　“Don’t　consider　me。　Do　what　you　think　your　duty。　I’ll　take　my　chance。”

Never　did　I　admire　any　woman　more　than　I　did　her　upon　that　occasion。　In　all　the　circumstances　which　in　her　case　included　the　imminent　birth　of　a　child；　I　thought　and　thin