Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-17

been struck by a spear that had glanced off
his ribs infiicting a nasty wound, while an
other assegai had laid open his cheek. Mary
Armstrong and two other women now came
out from the inner room and assisted in
dressing the wounds, while the men who
were unhurt carried the bodies OF the Kafirs
who had fallen ins the house to some dis
tance away, while those of the white men
and women were placed side by side in an
other room. They then got buckets Of water
and soon removed the pools of blood from
the floor.
snow, Mary" Mr.. Armstrong said, twill
you and your friends get fresh tablecloth
out and bring in some cold meat and bread
and anything else that you can lay hands
on for our brave friends. The rascals can't
have had time to find out our cellar, and
though don't think any of our party want
anything to eat, draught of spirits and
water will be acceptable all round"
''Not for those who are wounded, father;
tea will be better for them, am sure"
"Perhaps it will, my dear"
The women were glad of something to do.
One them was the wife of one of the farm
ers who had fallen, but she, too, in dull,
mechanical manner, aided Mary Armstrong
and the other, and as soon as the place was
made quite tidy, six or seven children of
different ages were called out from the inner
room.
Ronald and the troopers did Justice to the
food, for they had ridden upward of 60
miles, and had had nothing to eat save
piece of hard biscuit before starting.
Now" Mr.. Armstrong said. when their
appetites were appeased, "tell US BY what
miracle you arrived here just in time to
save us. 1 thought all the troops in the
colony were somewhere near Fort Cox, at
least that was the news that came to US yes
terday."
$50 we were, SIR" Ronald said. "a
column advanced from there yesterday
morning, and were attacked BY the Kafirs
in the gorge of the Keiskamma, and some
20 or 80 killed and wounded Il occurred
through the treachery of the Kaffir Police,
all of whom deserted last night. Some par
ties were sent off the first thing this morn
ing to warn the border settlements, but
am afraid that very few of them arrived in
time. We shall have terrible tidings, I
fear, of this days work everywhere"
"You are in command of this party?"
'Yes; got my corporal's stripes the day
before yesterday, and was lucky enough
to be chosen to command this detachment,
as / knew the country; and now, sir, how
did this business begin here?"
1--WE were at dinner" Mr.. Armstrong
said, 'when, without the least notice, just
as we had finished, there was rush through
the door. All my friends had brought their
rifles with them, and the instant the Kafirs
entered we knew what was up. Those who
could caught their rifles, others snatched
up table knives, and the fight began. As
you saw, several of our party were killed at
once, but the rest of US made such a good
fight with our clubbed rifles and knives
that for the moment we cleared the room,
then two OF us held the door while the rest
fell back into the inner room, where, for
tunately, all the children were at the time,
for the table was not large enough to hold
us all, and they had had their meal first.
Directly those who got in there recapped
their rifles-for we found that our rascally
while we were at dinner-Thompson and I,
who were at the door, fell back. Then, you
see, matters were easy enough. Two OF us
were posted at the door Of the inner room,
and the moment native showed himself
inside the door of this room he was shot
down. OF course we had to shut the shut
ters Of the inner room directly we entered,
and one of Us kept guard there. i don't
think the Kafirs would ever have forced
their way in; but no doubt as soon as they
had stripped the house of everything yalu-
able to them they would have set 1t on fire,
and then we should have had the choice of
being burnt out here or being speared
outside.
II need not say that we had all agreed
that it was thousand times better to die
here than to trust ourselves to those fends,
who always put their prisoners to death with
atrocious tortures. Anyhow, my friends,
we owe our lives to you, for sooner or later
the end must have come to Us. Now. what