Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1891-10-02
TIE CAPTAINS CHARGE.
EA Tract FROM DISTRICT ORDERS

n MOI
Manley, chief paymaster. in ordor = " 4haJ'
instructions that will be conveyed ~ 49, GeeINe
that officern " niiil by
In obedience to the foregoing r,.ouo,,.-
myself at the head Office of the arnv ori' w
partment and requested to be shown r. NJ:
Manleys room. " NAaJ'
Good morning, sir" said, on beiner I'D
mitted. Il am directed to report r,I,so1f az ~
you" my '0il 10
Yes, Il TT" answered the ever cbaor,-
chlef' who'nad always kindly words of ad
vice ana encouragement to offer thosa VIII
served under his orders. ~ am about to A.
tall you Tor difficult and somewhat dance,
Gus duty Money must be convened to NJ,
castle for the payment of supplies. as the
boers feIuSe TO receive our paper: and aror
II the drafts were accepted there is not snfIi-
Gent specie III the small up country banks To
meet all the demands that would ha n,odo
upon Them. 80 want to send YOU IN with
45O,OOO IN gold, to be handed over n M
Martin, now IN commissariat charge at New
castle, who will account to me direct fo, al
payments made.
Am not to have the usual escort detailed
in the treasury Instructions l asked
mo; there's the pinch. Our losses were so
great at lsandhlwana that we baya NOT % si,
gle man TO spare. All clerks and emnIo1ra,
men must take their turn of duty Resides
wish to avoid an escort, as il wou1d o,,I1
have the effect of unnecessarily advertiser,
the matter. In the present state of tbe conn
try, with shoals of doubtful characters about
this would be injudiciOus and almost invita-
attack SO the general has fallen in with INV
suggestion as to the manner of conveyance T
taking the responsibility of its safe delivery
Now listen" and he proceeded to unfold his
plan.
The position appeared to be this: After orr
losses on the 22d of January, and while wait
ing Ior re-en1orcements, there were barely
enough men to enable us to hold orr own in
case OF descent upon the colony by Cete-
wayo. DISCRIMINATING had been put in a
state of defense by erecting loop holed barri
cadeS in the streets The court house was
fortified and laagers formed at various STRAIT
egic points, to which all the inhabitants were
TO repair upon given signal, the firing of
three guns in quick succession from Fort
Napier All the outlying posts and towns
were also strongly fortified This prohibited
the withdrawal of any men employed in the
duties of defense
Ordinarily a guard of one officer and
twenty-five men is provided for the escort
of treasure; but, as has been explained the
present circumstances were unfavorabIe to
this course, and prompt payment for sup
plies being imperative, the following was
decided on:
The money was to be packed in empty am
munltlon boxes, with the usual descriptive
label of contents remaining on them Then
1t was to be loaded in an ordinary Cape cart
IA marvel of lightness and strength and
placed under charged of an officer, who he
was pleased to say, should be a man of cour-
age and resource; passing it on to the front,
as was frequently done at the tlme as am
munitiOn. There a great scarcity of
stores of all kinds after our losses at Isandhl-
wanna, where immense quantities of supplies
had to be abandoned.
Now" he went on to say, "the greatest
risk you will run is from the swarm of men
who, under the guise of somebody's horse
or somebody else's rangers ct hoe genus
omne, are spread over the country at the
present time don't allude to the gallant
men under tried leaders who have done such
good and loyal service, but to those smaller
bands under unknown men, to which are at
tracted the usual lawless spirits that always
crop up under pressure of times like the pres
ent. Should you come across any of these
they would make nothing of taking your life
if they got an inkling of what you have in
charge"
This was true enough.
"Now, Capt Ellicott, do you feel equal to
the risk!n continued Maj Manley. Ny spirits
rose at the prospect The task was, no doubt
a difficult one, but l reflected that this was a
chance that might never come in my way
again, and l felt not an objectionable pride
in the hope of obtaining a little distinction
should l successfully carry out the duty now
intrusted to me
81 am your man, major" replied ''When
am to startH'
Good" he said, grasping my hand.
"Your ready acceptance of what, to be
plain with YOU is a hazardous undertaking,
shall not go unrepresented in the proper
quarter
In order to throw the loafer element off
the scent paragraph was inserted in The
Natal Witness stating that Capt. Elicott, of
the Ninety-fourth regiment, was III orders to
join the headquarters of his corps, and take
with him a supply of reserve ammunition,
the transport department being directed to
provide conveyance.
The date of leaving was given as some days
after that intended for my actual departure;
consequently l should be well on the way be-
fore it was known that | had started
1WO Gays dllSI JH6 lLuSl view AAASAAUAOAANN
above, the cart containing my valuable con-
Segment wound slowly upward along the
miles of steep hill leading to Howick The
Hottentot driver grumbled now and then at
the weight of the ammunition, saying it ought
TO be sent on an OK wagon instead of mule
cart. He was afraid the springs would not
hold out | soothed him, however, with an
occasional draught of Boer brandy, with
which | had provided myself-that fiery
LIQUID SO highly priced by his class, upon
whose head it appeared to make not the
slightest impression. After long and wear1-
some crawl upward we reached at length the
comparatively level road which terminated
at the hotel.
was disagreeably surprised on arrival to
find here a body of volunteers, about forty
in number composed principally, as IL al'-
reared to ME, of that dubious class known as
the ''canteen loafer," a product peculiar 10
some parts of South Africa They were under
the leadership of a smooth tongued individual
named Osierton, whom had frequently met
at Pietermaritzburg, and who was SAID 10 DC
very well connected-a reckless gambler
ready to bet on anything or everything, hav-
ing the additional reputation OF beng Ill
utterly INSCRIPTIONS scoundreL
HE second In command was drunken,
ouarrelsone ruffian named Mondrum, VINO
had been forbidden the entree to any decen1
hotel where he was known, and was strongly
suspected of being concerned in a ROBBERY 3H.s.
committed at farm house on the Mool river
some months previously. His knowledge OF
the Zulu Ian guage Che having lived among
the natives for several years. was the RECON-
mendation for the post he held
On my requesting Mrs. Padley, the lan a.
,odv TO oblige me with separate room In
which to deposit the ammunition, she became