Colonel Glyn's column, and this restored it to something like its
strength before the fight. The rivers were high, which may have
accounted partly for the Zulus not taking the offensive. Probably too
the great loss which they themselves must have suffered had some effect;
while they might not have liked to have advanced in force across the
frontier, being, as they were, threatened on the one side by the column
of Colonel Wood at Kambula, and on the other by that of Colonel Pearson
at Ekowe."

"I have not heard about that column, father. What are they doing?"

"I will tell you about it this evening, Dick, as it is rather a long
story."

After the Jacksons had driven off in the evening, Dick again asked his
father about the doings of Colonel Pearson's column.

"Well, my boy, they have neither suffered a great defeat, like that
under Lord Chelmsford, nor obtained a decisive victory, like the column
of Colonel Wood; they have beaten the enemy in a fight, and are at
present besieged in a place called Ekowe, or, as it is sometimes spelt,
Etckowi. The column consisted of eight companies of the 3rd Buffs under
Colonel Parnell; six companies of the 99th, under Colonel Welman; one
company of Royal Engineers and two 7-pounder guns; they had, besides a
naval brigade consisting of 270 bluejackets and marines of her Majesty's
ships _Active_ and _Tenedos_, with three gatling-guns, 200 mounted
infantry; 200 colonial mounted riflemen also formed part of the column,
with about 2000 men of the native contingent. They had great difficulty
in crossing the Tugela, which was nearly 400 yards wide. But, thanks to
the exertions of the sailors, a flying bridge was constructed--that is,
a boat with ropes attached to both shores, so that it can be pulled
backwards and forwards, or, as is sometimes done, taken backwards and
forwards by the force of the stream itself.

"It was the 13th before the crossing was effected. The enemy were in
considerable force near the river. A small earthwork, called Fort
Tenedos, was thrown up on the Zulu bank of the river. On the 18th the
leading division started on its march into the enemy's country, followed
the next day by the second division, a small detachment being left to
garrison the fort. Every precaution was taken in the advance, and the
cavalry scouted the country in front of the column. At the end of the
first day's march the Inyoni, a small stream ten miles north of the
Tugela, was reach