The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-05-31
CiNCHiNu UP FOf. TROUBLE.
4 Curious Impulse That soldiers Feel In
Moments Of Danger.

VI bs.uSeI
There We're 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 maj stood by
and the first speaker tool an extra hi.4h
in the belt of Ills overalls.
That's queer" said Perry Ingram.
VIII was passing at the time. II saw 10
men do that in the face of certain death
and of the other ESQ who were with us
l guess nine in every 10 did the same. !,
know ] did anyhow. Can't tell WHY
because 1 new thought the matter over
but I'll swear that if | ever get into an.
other fix like that again I'll do the same
thing over.
1T was during the Basutu wal of 1850
| was "A trooper there, and was one of the
800 and odd that composed the Kimberley
Horse. If there ever was a set of not
care-a-cont;nental scalawags in Queen
Victoria's uniform. it was that same
gang of rough riders.
I'VE fought all right. of course. but
that all we were good for. Honestly.
think half the troop was made up of ex.
conyicts 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 1000 warriors across the stream,
over fords above and below us. to do us
up.
"As it happened that morning about
ESQ of us were detailed to escort a couple
Of 6-pounders up the hill to the fort from
below, and on our return trip b Basu-
tus got between us and the encampment,
"We threw out in open file while they
rode down on us-they were well mount
ed, were those Basutus-and we had or
lers to hold fire until they We're 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 | was thrusting another car
fridge into my rifle | 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 ! was not frightened then. There
was no time to get frightened. 1t was
just stand and fight till you dropped
dead full of spear holes.
II laid down my rifle for a second to
loosen my revolver in its case, and then
from some involuntary instinct that
cannot explain | drew in my belt a on
pie of inches around my waist. As did
so ! looked at the fellows nearest me.
Every one of them was cinching mp just
the same as myself.
.'Just 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 50 yards Of us, then turned
tail and fed. We kept blazing away at
the beggars as long as they were in
range, and then suddenly ceased.
The strain was gone, the peril OF
death over. Only a moment before it
had seemed as though our little band vas
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 l~oosening my belt.
As ! did 80 ! turned to the 10 fellows
nearest me. Every one of them was do.
ing the same.
..Queer, isn't it that a fellow want to
cinch himself up in the face Of certain
| deathY-San Francisco Examiner.