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

ready been made by the war, and to bring
the troops engaged up to their full force.
One of the four men who Joined Captain
Twentyman's troop gave q slight start of
surprise as his eyes fell upon Ronald Mer-
vyn. He looked at him several times, and
slight smile stole across his face.
"Who is that corporal?" he asked one Of
the troopers.
fine fellow he is, too. He led q small detach-
ment of our men splendidly in an affair
down by the Kabousie river. Why do you
ask? Have you ever seen him before?"
NO." the man said, carelessly; "but he
reminded me of someone knew at home. +"
"He is q first-rate soldier" the man said,
sand expect he will get the first vacancy
among the sergeants We all think he
has been an officer, though he never
talks about 1t. He's the best tenn
pered fellow possible, but you can never
get him to talk about the past. However,
that makes no difference to u.s."
mot bit. the recruit agreed. 'T dare
say be isn't the only one with queer histo-
ry in the regiment"
Il didn't say he had q queer history, {"
the man replied angrily. HE is as good a
oomrade and Is good fellow as one wants
to meet; there's not q man in the troop
grudges his being pushed on.
81 meant no ofense," the recruit said
''The man he reminded me Of had queer
history, and I suppose that is what put 1t
into my head"
"Well, if you don't want your head
punched you had better say nothing against
Blunt" the trooper grumbled, "eithsr in
my hearing or out oft"
The recruit turned away and occupied
himself in grooming his horse.
'This is rum start" he said to him
self "Who would have thought Of meet
ing Captain Mervyn out here? I saw in
one of the papers, soon after came out, the
account of his trial. I wonder how should
have felt if 1 had been standing in his
place? So he has changed his name.
suppose he arrived at the Cape when was
up the country, and must have enlisted at
once, for it's nearly three months since
Joined the depot, and q draft had sailed
only the day before. At any rate it's not
likely he will know me; not that he could
do me any harm if he did; still it's always
useful to know something against a man,
especially when he doesn't know you. If
ever get into row 1 can put the screw on
nicely"
As the recruit, who had enlisted in the
name of Jim Smith, had expected would be
the case, Roland Mervyn's eye showed no
signs of recognition as 1t fell upon his face.
He thought the new recruit was q strapping
fellow, and would be q good man to have
beside one in q hand-to-hand fight with the
Kafirs; but beyond this he gave him no
further thought
A considerable number of the Fingoe
allies had now arrived at King Williams
town. They had no idea whatever of discip-
line, and looked every bit as wild as their
Kafir foes. But there was no doubt they
were ready to fight, for they were eager to
be led against the Kaffirs, who had so long
kept them in slavery. They had been
armed with muskets, and each carried q
heavy knobkerry. At present they had
nothing to do but to sleep and eat, to dance
war dances and to get drunk whenever they
could obtain sufficient money 10 indulge in
that luxury.
They were ACCOMPANIED by their wives,
who not only waited upon and cooked for
them, but earned money by going out into
the woods and bringing in bundles of fag-
gots. Numbers of Hottentot women
were engaged upon the same work, while
the men of the same tribe looked after the
great herds of cattle, furnished drivers for
the wagons, helped in the comissaria stores,
and, so far as their lazy nature permitted,
made themselves useful.
King Williamstown Ronald was promoted
to the rank of sergeant
eff were the General" he said one day
to Sergeant Menzies, 81 wouldn't have a
Hottentot about the place. I believe that
they are all in league with the enemy. Look
how they all went over from the Missionary
Stations, and the farmers tell me they left
in the majority of cases on the day before
the massacre. 1t is quite evident that the
Kafiirs somehow always get information of
our movements. How could they have laid
that ambush for us at Keiskamma river if
they had not known the column was going
that way? How was it they were ready to
attack the detachment that went with pro-
visions to the Forts. 1t could not have been
from their own people, for not Kafir has
been near US since the troubles began.
believe it's these hateful little Hottentots."
They are hateful, the Sergeant said,
whether they are traitors or not. Except
most disgusting race on the face of the
earth, with their stunted bodies and yellow
faces, and their disgusting and filthy ways.
[ don't know that should turn them out Of
the camp If I were the General, but 1 should
order them to be washed. If you
get half dozen of them on the windy side
Of you, It's enough to make you SICK"
II wonder the Kafhrs didn't exterminate
he little brutes," Ronald Mervyn said. 81
suppose they would have done it if it had
not been for the Dutch first and us after
ward. The missionaries made pets of
hem. and nice pets they have turned out.
1t is just the same thing in India. Its the
very dregs of the people that the mission
aries always pick up with"
(To be continued nezt Saturday,