It was hot in the hospital for the roof was corrugatediron and the

windows were blocked with sandbags. The rifle slits let in little air.

The men stood at the slits, some in pyjamas, some stripped to the waist

and sweating in the heat. It's true then, the Column has been

massacredThat's enough talking. Stand to your posts and keep your

mouths shut. The impis of Zulu crossed the Tugela on a front five

hundred yards wide. They churned the surface to white with their

crossing. My God! Oh, my God! whispered Garrick as he watched them

come. We haven't got a chance, there are so many of them. Shut up. Damn

you, snapped the sergeant at the Gatling machine-gun beside him and

Garry covered his mouth with his hand.

Grabbed O'Riley by the neck Shoved his head in a pail of water Rammed

that pistol up his sang one of the malaria cases in delirium and

somebody else laughed, shrill hysteria in the sound. Here they come!

Load! The metallic clashing of rifle mechanism. Hold your fire, men.

Fire on command only. The voice of the bull changed from a deep

sonorous chant to the shrill ululation of the charge, high-pitched T

frenzy of the blood squeal. Steady, men. Steady. Hold it. Hold your

fire. Oh, my God! whispered Garrick softly, watching them come black

up the slope. Oh, my God! please don't let me die. Ready! The van

had reached the wall of the hospital yard. Their plumed head-dresses

were the frothy crest of a black wave as they came over the wall. Aim!

Sixty rifles lifted and held, aimed into the press of bodies. FireV

Thunder, then the strike of bullets into flesh, a sound as though a

handful of gravel had been flung into a puddle of mud. The ranks reeled

from the blow. The clustered barrels of the Gatling machine-gun jump,

jump, jumped as they swung, cutting them down so they fell upon each

other, thick along the wall. The stench of burnt black powder was

painful to breathe. Load! The bullet-ravaged ranks were re-forming as

those from behind came forward into the gaps. AimV

They were coming again, solid black and screaming halfway across the

yard. Fire! Garrick sobbed in the shade of the veranda and pressed the

fingers of his right hand into his eye sockets to squeeze out the

memory.

What's the trouble, Cocky? The Cockney rolled painfully onto his side

and looked at Garrick.

Nothing! said Garrick quickly. Nothing! Coming back to you, is it?

"What happened? I can only remember pieces of it. What happened! The

man echoed his question, What didn't happen! The doctor said - Garrick

looked up quickly, He said the General had endorsed my citation. That

means Chelmsford's alive. My brother and my father, they must be alive

as well! No such luck, Cocky. The Doc's taken a fancy to you you with

one leg doing what you did, so he made inquiries about your folk. It's

no use. Why? asked Garrick desperately. Surely if Chelmsford's alive

they must be too? The little man shook his head. Chelmsford's made a

base camp at a place called Isandhlwana. He left a garrison there with

all the wagons and supplies. He took a flying column out to raid, but

the Zulus circled around him and attacked the base camp, then they came

on here to the Drift. As you know, we held them for two days until

Chelmsford's flying column came to help us, My folk, what happened to

them? Your father was at the Isandhlwana camp. He didn't escape. Your

brother was with Chelmsford's colhimn but he was cut off and killed in

one of the skirmishes before the m-gin battle. Sean dead? Garrick

shook his head. No, it's not possible. They couldn't have killed him.

You'd be surprised how easily they did it, said the Cockney. A few