A FREE FIGHT. 31 



Sunday, Jim, and Umpiqua — In fact, our whole 

 force — were standing at my elbow, and evidently 

 wanted but little encouragement to have a go at the 

 strangers, for each had armed himself with a stick. 

 I cautioned our head man not to hurt the visitors 

 too much, and then let them slip at the foe. There 

 never was a doubt of the result, although the enemy 

 were nearly three to one. They only stood their 

 ground for a few moments, then broke and fled with 

 the greatest haste into the jungle, but not before 

 Master Jim, who had singled out the chief against 

 whom to devote his own individual prowess, had 

 sent that worthy representative of humanity spin- 

 ning into the centre of our thick, prickly fence. 

 Never was a victory so thoroughly successful and 

 won with such ease. You may rely upon it, the 

 Zulus are splendid fellows, and in fighting and hunt- 

 ing they cannot be equalled by any race on the 

 African continent. 



The hammering that our " boys " had given the 

 natives did them a world of good. In a few hours 

 they returned, first in ones and twos, then finally the 

 whole party ; and so marked was the change in their 

 demeanour that the alteration was perfectly mar- 

 vellous. It is wonderful what a beneficial effect a 

 judicious, wholesome chastisement has upon the 

 people of some of these tribes ; but correction should 

 only be administered when thoroughly deserved, and 

 never be of unnecessary severity. But if the reader 



