Evening journal., 1893-07-10
cINoAlNa up Eoa rRoueLg.
A Curious Impulse That Soldiers Feel In
Moments of Danger


Moments Of Dang--
There were two men lowering heavy
cask Of wine into a cellar the other day,
and one Of them asked his conrado 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 250 who were with us
/ guess nine in every 10 did the same.
know l did anyhow. Can't tell why,
because 1 never thought the matter over,
but III swear that if / ever get into an
other fix like that again I'll do the same
thing over.
1T was during the Basutu war Of 1880.
] was a trooper there, and was ono of the
800 and odd that composed the Kimberley
Horse. If there ever was a set Of not
care-a-continental scalawags in Queen
Victoria's uniform, it was that same
gang of rough riders.
eve fought all right, of course, but
that all we We're 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.
eve We're 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,
over fords above and below us, to do us
up.
Gas it happened that morning about
25O Of us were detailed to escort a couple
Of 6-pounders up the hill to the fort from
below, and on our return trip the Basu-
tus got between us and the encampment.
''Wo threw out in open file while they
rode down on us-they We're well 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 I was thrusting another car
fridge into my rifle 1 felt a bit queer
about the throat, and somehow, cant
tell how, it seemed as though my stom
ach was empty.
'cNow, / know what it is to be scared
but was not frightened then. Ther'
was no time to get frightened. 1t wa
just stand and fight till you dropped
dead full Of spear holes.
Il laid down my rifle for a second t.
loosen my revolver in its case, and thel
from some involuntary instinct that
cannot explain drew in my belt cou
pie Of inches around my waist. As / di'
so l looked at the fellows nearest nIe
Every one of them was cinching up jus
the same as myself.
Gust for moment everything on ou
side was silence, and the Basutus wer
not 70 yards away. Then we all bega
! blazing away again and yelling as me
do in battle.
"The fire frightened the blacks. The
came within 90 yards Of us, then turne
tail and fed. We kept blazing away q
the beggars as long as they were j
range, and then suddenly ceased.
"The strain was gone, the peril {
death over. Only a moment before
had seemed as though our little band ws
to be wiped off the earth. 1t was a su
locating day, so I laid down my gun
wipe the sweat and powder from m
forehead.
"Then I set about loosening my bel
! AS I did so l turned to the 10 fellow
nearest me. Every one Of them was d.
ing the same.
? "Queer, isn't it that fellow wants
2 cinch himself up in the face ofecertai
deathY-San Francisco Examiner.