San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-07-24
cINcHING UP FOR TROUBLE.
A Curious Impulse That Soldiers Feel In
Moments of Danger.

There were two men lowering a heavy
cask of wine into a cellar the other day,
and one of them asked his comrade to
stand by a moment. The man stood by
and the first speaker took an extra hitch
in the belt of his overalls.
That's queer" said Perry Ingram,
who was passing at the time. 81 saw 10
men do that in the face of certain death,
and of the other $50 who were with us
/ guess nine in every 10 did the same. /
know l did anyhow. Can't tell why,
because l never thought the matter over,
but I'll swear that if l ever get into an
other fix like that again I'll do the same
thing over.
at was during the Basutu war of 1880.
l was a trooper there, and was me of the
500 and odd that composed the Kimberley
Horse. If there ever was a set of not
care-a-continental scalawags in Queen
Victoriais uniform, it was that same
gang of rough riders.
1--WE fought all right, of course, but
that all we were good for. Honestly, l
think half the troop was made up of eX-
convicts and the balance of that class of
adventures who had pioneered the road
to the South African diamond fields.
I'VE were in fort on Thlotse heights.
The Basutus, about 5000 strong, were
amusing themselves plotting at us from
the other side of the Thlotse river, and
one day they took it into their heads to
send 1900 warriors across the stream,
$500. co.l, olaxa o-l I,1,r- -. =, 4 ~,
up.
CAS- it happened that morning about
$50 of us were detailed to escort a couple
of 6-pounders up the hill to the fort from
below, and on u return trip the Basu-
tus got between us and the encampment.
"We threw out in open file while they
rode down on us-they were we'll mount
ed, were those Basutus-and we had or
ders to hold fire until they were about
100 yards away.
"Well, when they came within the
given distance we fired, but instead of
soaring them by killing off a hundred or
SO the beggars still came on. Dismount-
ing from their horses, they seized their
assegais. The hill was black with them,
and they rushed on us like the hounds of
hell.
Its all up now, boys thought !, for
when those chaps take it into their heads
to go the whole hog and charge they
do it.
while l was thrusting another car
fridge into my rifle l felt a bit queer
about the throat, and somehow, l can't
tell how, it seemed as though my stom-
ach was empty.
"Now, | know what it is to be scared,
but l wa not frightened then. There
was no time to get frightened. 1t was
Just stand and fight till you dropped
dead full of spear holes.
Il laid down my rifle for a second to
loosen my revolver in its case, and then
from some involuntary instinct that
cannot explain l drew in my belt a cou-
pie of inches around my waist. As.1 did
SO l looked at the fellows nearest me.
Every one of them was cinching up just
the same as myself.
Gust for a moment everything on our
| side was silence, and the Basutus were
not 20 yards away. Then we all began
blazing away again and yelling as men
do in battle.
"The fire frightened the blacks. They
came within so yards of us, then turned
tail and fed. We kept blazing away at
the beggars as long as they were i'll
range, and then suddenly ceased.
1.-THE strain was gone, the peril of
death over. Only a moment before it
had seemed as though our little band was
to be wiped off the earth. 1t was a suf-
locating day, so l laid down my gun to
wipe the sweat and powder from my
forehead.
''Then l set about loosening my belt.
AS l did so / turned to the 10 fellows
nearest me. Every one of them was do
ing the same.
Queer, isn't it that a fellow wants to
cinch himself up in the face of certain
death?"-San Francisco Examiner.