its outer enclosure, a heavy cloud of smoke betokened that their mission was accomplished. This white column hid the horsemen from the natives, who finding themselves in danger of being surrounded and captured by Sugden and his detached party, made a hasty and somewhat undignified retreat. The General now moved round to the right, and found that the detached party under Nettleton were coming back with a fine young Zulu, whom they had overtaken and captured on the left of the kraal. They had secured him with some buffalo-hide girths, and he readily--too readily for belief--answered John Dunn's questions, informing him that the cattle, women, and children had time to escape from the kraal, as the horsemen were discovered cantering across the open. He added that had they advanced a little faster they would have captured them. But this was not their object, and they were rather glad not to have the encumbrance of prisoners, remembering the trouble Oham's wives and relations gave at Kambula. The return to Ekowe was accomplished without further incident. On the following day, having destroyed as much of the fortifications at Ekowe as time would permit, they started upon the return journey to the camp at Ginghilovo. They overtook Pearson in laager after having marched about six miles; and while he and his column moved on later in the day to his destination on the Lower Tugela, Lord Chelmsford and his division halted and laagered camp at about two miles north of Inyezani, and about five from Ginghilovo. Here an unfortunate disaster occurred. A young sentry of the 91st fancied he saw Zulus in the bush. He at once, without challenging, as he should have done, fired. The picket to which he belonged at once retired, and as Dunn's scouts were out reconnoitring, they ran in upon the next picket to the camp, composed also of young soldiers of the 60th, who, mistaking them for Zulus charging upon the laager, recklessly opened fire, by which four of their own men were wounded and one killed, while nine of the unfortunate scouts were badly wounded. The officer commanding the picket did all he could to steady his men, and did not even retire with them, so he was quite blameless. On the 24th April they reached the entrenchments at Ginghilovo, which were about two miles from the former laager, and Lord Chelmsford, having given the fullest instructions in regard to strengthening and guarding the camp, started on the following day for Fort Tenedos, _en route_ for Durban, to reorganize an immediate advance. CHAPTER VI.