Produced by Tony Hyland, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. WITH BULLER IN NATAL [Illustration: "CHRIS SPRANG AT HIM."] WITH BULLER IN NATAL OR, A BORN LEADER BY G. A. HENTY PREFACE It will be a long time before the story of the late war can be written fully and impartially. Even among the narratives of those who witnessed the engagements there are many differences and discrepancies, as is necessarily the case when the men who write are in different parts of the field. Until, then, the very meagre military despatches are supplemented by much fuller details, anything like an accurate history of the war would be impossible. I have, however, endeavoured to reconcile the various narratives of the fighting in Natal, and to make the account of the military occurrences as clear as possible. Fortunately this is not a history, but a story, to which the war forms the background, and, as is necessary in such a case, it is the heroes of my tale, the little band of lads from Johannesburg, rather than the leaders of the British troops, who are the most conspicuous characters in the narrative. As these, although possessed of many admirable qualities, had not the faculty of being at two places at once, I was obliged to confine the action of the story to Natal. With the doings of the main army I hope to deal next year. G. A. HENTY CONTENTS I. THE BURSTING OF THE STORM II. A TERRIBLE JOURNEY III. AT THE FRONT IV. DUNDEE V. THE FIRST BATTLE VI. ELANDSLAAGTE VII. LADYSMITH BESIEGED VIII. A DESPERATE PROJECT IX. KOMATI-POORT X. AN EXPLOSION XI. BACK WITH THE ARMY XII. THE BATTLE OF COLENSO XIII. PRISONERS XIV. SPION KOP XV. SPION KOP XVI. A COLONIST'S ADVENTURE XVII. A RESCUE XVIII. RAILWAY HILL XIX. MAJUBA DAY XX. LADYSMITH ILLUSTRATIONS "CHRIS SPRANG AT HIM" CHRIS OFFERS HIS SERVICES TO SIR PENN SYMONS CHRIS AND HIS COMPANIONS SCOUTING "BOTH RIFLES CRACKED AT ONCE" "THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS ROAR AND A BLINDING CRASH" "WITH A SHOUT OF TRIUMPH THE TWO BOERS RAN DOWN" "PRESENTLY FROM BEHIND THE FOOT OF THE HILL SIX HORSEMEN DASHED OUT" THE NAVAL GUNS ON MOUNT ALICE "ONE OF THE BOERS HELD UP HIS RIFLE WITH A WHITE FLAG TIED TO IT" THE RELIEF OF LADYSMITH [Illustration: SOUTH EASTERN AFRICA] WITH BULLER IN NATAL CHAPTER I THE BURSTING OF THE STORM A group of excited men were gathered in front of the Stock Exchange at Johannesburg. It was evident that something altogether unusual had happened. All wore anxious and angry expressions, but a few shook hands with each other, as if the news that so much agitated them, although painful, was yet welcome; and indeed this was so.