ons, moved forward and encamped near the
Itelezi River. The flying column of General Wood went on one march
ahead, and the country was carefully scouted by Buller's horse for
twenty miles round, and no Zulus were found.

CHAPTER NINE.

ULUNDI.

On Sunday, the 1st of June, General Wood with a small escort was out
reconnoitring in advance of his column, which was about five miles in
front of the force of General Newdigate. The morning was clear and
fresh, the ridges of the hills on either side were dotted with Buller's
horsemen. They crossed the river by a ford, and having ridden about
another mile forward they observed some of the vedettes on the high
ground signalling that horsemen were approaching.

Riding on to see who they could be, they were joined by Colonel Buller
and a dozen of his men, and together they rode forward to meet the five
men who were seen approaching. In a few seconds Lieutenant Carey and
four troopers of Bettington's Horse rode up, and when they had told
their story English soldiers had the shame and humiliation of knowing
that an English officer and four English troopers had escaped unwounded
from a Zulu ambush, in which they had left a gallant young prince, the
guest of England and the hope of France, to be barbarously slain.

Early in the morning the prince had learnt that a patrol was to be sent
out in advance of the column, and had applied for and obtained
permission to accompany it. Colonel Harrison, acting as
quartermaster-general, granted the permission, and had an interview with
the prince.

Six men of Bettington's Horse and the same number of Shepstone's Basutos
were to form the party; but unfortunately the Basutos did not come up at
the appointed time, and the patrol consisted therefore only of the
prince, Lieutenant Carey, the six men of Bettington's Horse, and one
Zulu. Considering the importance of the safety of the prince, a grave
responsibility attaches to the staff-officer who allowed him to go with
so small a party.

After an hour's ride they reached the crest of a hill and dismounted to
fix the position of some distant points by the compass. Here Colonel
Harrison overtook them, and remarked that the whole of the escort was
not with them, and that they had better wait for the Basutos to come up.
The prince said--

"Oh, we are quite strong enough--besides, we have all our friends around
us, and with my glass I can see General Marshall's cavalry coming up."

Un