Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1888-11-08

taie i..i Al VI passage every sor
of missile, from iron pot legs down to slugs
and pebbles coated with lead. The result
was very prompt The Matukus were sc
near that we could not miss them and al
thirty yards a lead coated stone out of a gas
| pipe is as effective as Martini rifle, or more
So Over rolled the attacking soldiers by the
dozen, while the survivors, fairly frightened
took TO their heels We piled them with
shot till they were out of range; made il
very warm for them with the elephant gun,
| by the way, and then we loaded up in quite
cheerful frame of mind, for we had not
lost man, whereas could count moro than
| fifty dead and wounded Matukus. The only
thing that damped my ardor was that, stare
as | would, | could see no column of smoke
upon the mountain crest.
Half an hour elapsed before any further
steps were taken against us. Then the at
lacking force adopted different tactics. See
ing that it was very risky to try to rush on
us in dense masses, they opened out into sllir-
mishing order and ran across the open space
in lots of five and six. As ithappened, right
at the foot of the koppie the ground broke
away a little in such fashion that it was al
most impossible for us to search it effectually
with our fire On the hither side of this dip
Wambe's soldiers were now congtegating in
considerable numbers. OF course, we did
them as much damage as we could while they
were running across, but this sort of work re-
quires good shots, and that was just what we
had not got. Another thing was that SO
many of our men would insist upon letting
off the things they called guns at every little
knot of the enemy that ran across. Thus the
first few lots were, indeed, practically swept
away, but after that. as it took a long while
to load the gas pipes and old flint muskets,
those who followed got across in COM para
tive safety. For my own part, fired away
with the elephant gun and repeating carbne
till they grew almost too hot to hold, but my
individual efforts could do nothing to stop
such rush, or p.Tceptibly lessen the num-
Der Of our enemies. At length there were at
least thousand men crowded into the dip Of
the ground within few yards Of us, whence
those Of them who had guns kept
up a continued fusillade upon the Aoppie.
They killed two of my bearers IL this way
and wounded third, for being at the top Of
the koppic, these men were most exposed to
the fire from the dip at its base Seeing that
the situation was growing more serious, ! at
length, by .dint of threats and entreaties,
persuaded the majority Of our people to
cease firing useless shots, to reload and pre-
pare for the rush. Scarcely had | done so
when the enemy came for us with a roar /
am bound to say that should never have be-
lieved that Matukus had it in them 10 make
such determined charge A large party
rushed round the base of the koppie and at
tackled us in INK, while the Others swarmed !
wherever they could get a foothold, so that /
we were taken on every side
- 'Firef | cried; and we did, with terrible |
effect. Many Of their men fell, but though /
we checked, We could not stop them. They /
closed up, and rushed the first fertilization, |
killing good number of its defenders. 1t
was almost all cold steel work now, for we
had no time to reload, and that suited the /
Butiana habits of fighting well enough, for
The stabbing assegai wasa weapon which they
understood. Those Of our people who escaped
rom the first line Of walls took refuge in the
second, where stood myself, encouraging
hem s,,. liieTe the fight ragged fercely. DC
parties Of the enemy would force
passage, only to perish ON the hither side be
leath the Butiana spears. But still they kept
{ up, and saw that, fight as we would, we
we're doomed. We were altogether outnum-
,ered, and, to make matters worse, fresh
bodies of soldiers were pouring across the
,lain to the assistance of our assailants. SO
made up my mind to direct a retreat into
he caves, and there expire in a manner as
heroic as circumstances would allow, and
while mentally lamenting my bard fate, and
eflecting on my sins, fought away like
lend, 1t was then | remember that | shot
ny friend the captain Of our escort of the
previous day. He had caught sight Of me,
nd making vicious dig at my stomach with
spear (which successfully lodged shouted
ut, or rather began to shout out, one of bis
unpleasant illusions to the Thing that
Ie never got as far rs bites, because l shot
i'm after that