Behind me one of the stout “fraus” lay upon the ground.  Even the terror of our position could not keep her heavy eyes from their accustomed sleep, and she snored loudly.  On the further side of her, just by the fire, lay little Tota, wrapped in a kaross.  She was asleep also, her thumb in her mouth, and from time to time her father would come to look at her.

So the hours wore on while we waited for the Zulus.  But from my intimate knowledge of the habits of natives I had little fear that they would attack us at night, though, had they done so, they could have compassed our destruction with but small loss to themselves.  It is not the habit of this people, they like to fight in the light of day—­at dawn for preference.

About eleven o’clock, just as I was nodding a little at my post, I heard a low whistle outside the laager.  Instantly I was wide awake, and all along the line I heard the clicking of locks as the Boers cocked their guns.

“Macumazahn,” said a voice, the voice of Indaba-zimbi, “are you there?”

“Yes,” I answered.

“Then hold a light so that I can see how to climb into the laager,” he said.

“Yah! yah! hold a light,” put in one of the Boers.  “I don’t trust that black schepsel of yours, Heer Quatermain; he may have some of his countrymen with him.”  Accordingly a lantern was produced and held towards the voice.  There was Indaba-zimbi alone.  We let him into the laager and asked him the news.

“This is the news, white men,” he said.  “I waited till dark, and creeping up to the place where the Zulus are encamped, hid myself behind a stone and listened.  They are a great regiment of Umtetwas as Baas Botha yonder thought.  They struck the spoor of the waggons three days ago and followed it.  To-night they sleep upon their spears, to-morrow at daybreak they will attack the laager and kill everybody.  They are very bitter against the Boers, because of the battle at Blood River and the other fights, and that is why they followed the waggons instead of going straight north after Mosilikatze.”

A kind of groan went up from the group of listening Dutchmen.

“I tell you what it is, Heeren,” I said, “instead of waiting to be butchered here like buck in a pitfall, let us go out now and fall upon the Impi while it sleeps.”

This proposition excited some discussion, but in the end only one man could be found to vote for it.  Boers as a rule lack that dash which makes great soldiers; such forlorn hopes are not in their line, and rather than embark upon them they prefer to take their chance in a laager, however poor that chance may be.  For my own part I firmly believe that had my advice been taken we should have routed the Zulus.  Seventeen desperate white men, armed with guns, would have produced no small effect upon a camp of sleeping savages.  But it was not taken, so it is no use talking about it.