The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1890-01-04

iHdit VI Ail tNVOi- NY NO''Ah'tiou
was distant some one hundred and thir-
~ miles, my ROAD lying over a pretty
hilly coun,ry, th;ckly wooded in parts,
tciutifuI in its peaceful calm, broken
only by the shri.l chirps of the
birds or the trck.i ing of some
small stream winding its silvery path
through It's mos ) covered forest banks.
Occasional the cunning face of a mon
key might he seen intently watching
from behind some trunk or limb. of a
tree the intruder in its leafy home. The
open landscape, dotted occasionally
with some small farm. house nestled in
the shadow of hill, the home of some
Dutch farmer, at all times the hospita-
BILE entertainer of the weary traveller.
The first and only town l came to was
Lady Brand, some three miles from the
Basuto Land border, Moseru being one
mile the other side. l arrived at Lady
Brand Just in time for tiffin at the ho-
tel. My horse and 1 both being very
tired, and feeling that attention to the
wants of the inner man would not be
altogether misplaced, / determined to
dismount and refresh both man and
beast. Irode into Tic yard of the ho-
tel, gave my horse to Il Katir, saw him
watered and fed, and thea went inside.
As / came into the bar my attention
was attracted by discussion that was
taking place among some Beers. As l
spoke their language l soon found out
that all night the incessant discharge of
artillery had been heard from the fort,
and from time to time the rafting dis
charge of small arms from the same d.
rection. The firing had ceased for some
little time and the question being dis
cussed was whether the Kaffirs had
been repulsed or the fort captured. My
excitement can be imagined, but as it
was now no use hurrying, I let my horse
eat his forage and snatched feed my
self, and then with fear that the worst
had happened, remounted and began
the last few miles of my journey. On
this side of the river Caledon the boun-
dairy separating the free States from
Basuto Land is a small hill overlooking
the whole of the immediate country,
and from which a distant view of the
fort and residcncy. each of which is
dred yards apart, the village being be-
ing between the two, was obtainable.
On the first hill we're grouped some
Beers, from whom inquired the news.
1 was answered by a surly young Boer
that the Kafirs had retired after a des-
perate attempt to capture the fort.
Thanking him and experiencing the
greatest relief, leisurely walked my
horse down to the river and crossed.
had walked some hundred yards
when "ping' came bullet over my
head, followed by another and another.
Hooked up at the fort, thinking was
being mistaken in the distance for Kafir,
throuh the stupidity of the raw native
lcvies who, from former experience in
the Zulu war, knew to be only too
glad of an excuse for firing off their
rifles. The bullets were now coming
pretty lively, but as fortunately had
not been hit determined to recross the
river. As turned in my saddle was
thunderstruck, for from under the
banks of the river curled the little puts
of white smoke denoting so much. They
had got between me and the river, and
my retreat was cut off. Within thirty
yards, crawling on the ground in
amongst the long reeds, was the black
carcass of a Basuto warrior.
Realizing at once the truth, l drew
reviewer, set spurs to my horse, and was
just bounding into gallop, when from
out of the ground, as it seemed, in front
rose a dozen of the black skinned
demons. l was surrounded.
l refined up. Retreat was
impossible, advance seemed equally so,
while 10 stand still meant certain death,
perhaps torture. l had presence Of
mind to note that none Of them carried
the deadly asscgai, and 1 breathed freer,