Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1879-10-23
Forbes Ride


tlur following account Of his ride after the
hattie of Claadi, EUluland; "Many men
tried ~ diSSIadc me; my enterprise was
freely characterized as madness Evelyn
Mcnd WAS tho last man TO urge an ohiec-
ton. and when that had no avail, he gave
me 4 telegram for his wife. The night was
JUS falling as | rode up tho steep rugged
track from the laaCcr into the bush. was
riding dark chestnut horse whose pluck
and Saving power knew well, and meant
70 test both. Ny great effort was to ira
verse as much ground rs possible before il
GU QSite dark, for did not like the inter
va of pitchy darkness before the moon
should rise about eight O'Clock. So | sent
the chestnut along at best pace Ii was a
CrucSome ride. and l would sooner DC shot
MI Tor two hours az = stretch than 10 do 1t
again. There was no road, only confu-
son of wagon tracks through the long
grass. made hy our vehicles in their ad-
vSnce. Everywhere the bush, in detached
clumps some ten feet high, clustered thick
around and among these tracks darent
smoke Tor fear the striking Of match
might hctrSy me. An that there was for
me VAS 20 trust 10 luck, see that the flap Of
nv revolver case was open, and keep the
GOOD hursc's head straight, On we went,
down into the black gullieS, where half
regiment might have lain hidden, through
the 6ttle patches Of tall thorn brake, whose
prscAles tore my clothes and lacerSted my
skin stumbling over fallen trunks, wading
through long rank grass, always with cars
ccckcd and every sense on its fullest ten
son. Several fires were visible, through
the bush foliage 10 right and left, doubtless
the night fires Of Struggling bodies of Zulus.
Behind me seethcd the Gehenna of the
blazing Clun6 and the other krsals fired
that day. Their luud blaze helped me on
after darkness fell. which they served TO
mitigate. But at length | came to dead
halt near the region where the two columns
camped ON their march, between the ridge
of Eutoireneni and the White CmfalooSi
The multiplicity Of tracks confused me. l
had fairly lost my way; | could dimly see
close 10 me the charred relics Of the great
Slipsne krSal. and l knew l must be near
3 hoE. into which, il | strayed, my horse
NJ least would never emerge. There was
no recourse but 70 halt where was, and
wSitwith what patience 1might, for the moon
10 rise. dare say she kept her time, but
must say 1 thought her Shockingly slow.
AT length the great disc showed above the
ridge, and Illuminated the basin below. At
ter few casts hit off the spoor, and in ten
minutes more was climbing the open grassy
slOpe that leads up to the standing camp
ON the Entongeneni Here the chestnut
Was done, and night well he had done; but
Major Upchor. of the oath, who was in
command. rirSt ordered his men a lot of
rum each in honor of the good news had
brought, and then furnished me with a
fresh horse, and party 10 guide me on the
devious way. Steadily l rode on all
through the hitter night under the moon
light without adventure, save an occasional
missing and recovery of the road. l had
an escort for two stages, and then went on
alone. passed within few miles of the
sqot where some days later the bodies,
pierced with aSsegSi wounds, of poor young
Scott Douglass and Corporal Cotter of the
Iznccrs were found About four in the
morning the binding fog came down, and
then il was q case of cropping for the track.
On the hill shove Fort Marshall the fog was
50 dense that / had TO dismount and feel
in the grass for the wsgon-ruts leading
down the steep slope to the fort. Once
there, dear old Colonel Collingwood gave
me some tes in the gray of the morning,
and set me up with fresh horse. To
make long story short, | rode into Land
mans Drift between two and three in the
afternoon Of the 9Th, having ridden about
one hundred and tenmiles, usingsix horses.
IL was not much of a ride for speed-one
hundred and ten miles in twenty hours;
but look Al the DELAYS in losing and finding
the road, in getting fresh horses &c. 1
know that never halted in any one place
more than half an hour, and that | made
good speed is evident from the following
fact After / had left Lord Chelmsford
changed ms mind, and started off Guy
Dawnay an hour later, under escort with
his formal despatch. ] am nearly three
stone heavier than Dawnay, and weight
tells fearfully on these colony ponies. Yet
Dawnav did not reach Landmarks Drift till
10 .. IN. ON the 9Th inst. Leaving the I'm
falo0s one hour behind me, he did not
reach Landmarks until seven hours behind
me Ny riding, it appeared, was not yet
over. On the morning Of the 9th it occur
red TO General Marshall, in command at
Landmarks Drift-Marshall is about the
clezrest headed Of our chiefs-that some
time might elapse before direct communi-
cation could be opened up between Wolse-
lev and Chelmsford, and that what | would
be able 10 tell him regarding details might
be Of service to the former if were to hur-
" through with all possible speed to Port
Durnford. / wasn't in the best case for
another long ride, it was true. In the
fight had a thwack on the leg with a
spent bullet 1t had not broken the skin,
but made confusion, and the long ride
had set up not little inflammation. But it
was not bad enough to let it beat a fellow,
and off set for Landmarks Drift about one
II the afternoon Of the 9th, bent on reach
ing Pietermaritzburg, q distance of one
hundred and seventy miles before stopping,
winch did