efore Umbelleni.
That chief briefly gave orders that they should be killed; but two or
three of his headmen represented to him that they might be of use; they
would be able to carry a message to the British camp, should he desire
at any time to send one; by their appearance and dress, they could tell
him the nature of any troops they might intend to attack, and could read
and explain any letters which might be captured on messengers; finally,
they might be an acceptable present to send to Cetewayo, who might not
be pleased if he heard that prisoners had been killed in cold blood.

Umbelleni assented to the reasoning, and ordered the boys to be taken to
a hut. The Zulu dwellings resemble in form great bee-hives. They are
circular and dome-roofed; the entrance is but three feet high, and
people can only enter by crawling. A woman was ordered to cook for
them. No guard was placed over them, and they were permitted to wander
about freely, as escape from such a position was considered impossible.

Six weeks passed slowly, and on the 11th of March a messenger arrived,
and there was a sudden stir in the camp. In a few minutes the
fighting-men assembled. The boys were ordered to take their place in
the column, and at a swift march, with which they had the greatest
difficulty in keeping up, the column moved away.

"Where are they taking us now, I wonder?" Tom said.

"I suppose they are going to attack some English party on the march; our
men are hardly likely, I should think, again to be caught napping, as
they were at Isandula."

Crossing two rivers, the Bevana and Pongola, they at night halted in
another mountain-kraal of Umbelleni, about three miles from the Intombe
River. On the bank of the river could be seen twenty waggons. These
waggons had come down from Derby, on their way to Luneberg, a town
situated four miles from the Intombe. Major Tucker, who commanded
there, sent Captain Moriarty with a company of the 80th, seventy strong,
down to the river to protect the waggons whilst crossing, and that
officer had orders to neglect no precaution, and above all to keep an
incessant and vigilant look-out.

The river was in flood, and no crossing could be effected, and for four
days the waggons remained on the northern bank. Captain Moriarty placed
the waggons in laager on the bank, and took post there with forty of his
men, leaving Lieutenant Harwood with thirty-four on the south bank with
directions to cover the