People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-06-16
clNCHING UP FOR TROUBLE.
A Curious Impulse That Soldiers Feel
Moments of Danger.

A Curious Impulse That Soldiers Feel In
Moments of Danger.
Thee were two men lowering a
heavy cask of wine into 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. Il saw
ten men do that in the face of certain
death. and of the other two hundred
and fifty who were with us guess nine
in every ten did the same. / know !
did, anyhow. Can't tell why, because
} never thought the matter over. but
I'll swear that if | ever get into an
bther fix like that again I'll do the
Bme thing over.
1T was during the BaSutu war OF
1850. was trooper there, and was
one of the five hundred and odd that
composed the Kimberly Horse. If therG
ever was set of not-care-a-continental
scallawags in Queen Victoria's uniform
it was that same gang of rough riders.
We fought all right, of course, hut
that was all we were good for. Hon.
estly think half the troop was made
up of eX-convicts, and the balance OF
that class of adventures who had pio.
neered the road to the South African
diamond fields.
I'VE were in fort on Thlotse Heights
the Basutus, about five thousand strong
were amusing themselves plotting al
us from the other side of the Thlotse
river. and one day they took it into
their heads to send about one thousand
two hundred warriors across the stream
over fords above and below US, to dc
us up.
AS it happened that morning. about
two hundred and fifty of us were de
tailed to escort a couple Of six-pornd
ers up the hill to the fort from teie'5
and on our return trip to the Bas.itu'
lot between us and the encampment.
We threw out in open file weile they
rode down on us-thcy were wel
mounted. were those Basutus-and W.
had orders to hold fire until they were
about one hundred yards away.
"Well. when they came within tht
given distance we fired. but instead O
soaring there by killing off a hundred
or So, the Oeggars still came on. Dis
moanting from their horses they seizet
"hrir asscgaiS-the hill was black witt
tEain-and they rushed on us like tn,
nJunds of hell.
Its all up now. boys, though |, for
when those chaps take into their head.
togo the whole hog and charge thel
10 it.
while was thrusting another cart
ridge into my rifle | felt bit quee
about the throat, and somehow. | can
tell how. it seemed as though my stom
ach was empty.
Now. | know what it is to be scared
but was not frightened then. Their,
was no time to get frightened. II wa
just stand and fight till you dropped
dead full of spear holes.
Il laid down my rife for a second Il
loosen my revolver in its case. and then
from some involuntary instinct that
can not explain, | drew in my belt ;
couple Of inches around my waist. A
did so | looked around at the fellow
nearest me. Everyone of them wa
cinching up just the same as myself.
Gust for a moment everything OF
our side was silence. and the Basutu
were not seventy yards away. Thel
we all began blazing away again an,
yelling, as men do in battle.
The fire frightened the blacks. The
came within fifty yards of us, thel
turned tail and fled. We kept blazin,
away at the beggars as long as the,
were inrange, and then suddenly ceased
THE strain was gone, the peril 0
death over. Only amoment before it ha,
seemed as though our little band wa
to be wiped off the earth. TWAS SUI
locating day, so l laid down my gul
to wipe the sweat and powder from m,
forehead.
"Then | set about loosening my belt
AS / did so turned to the ten fellow
nearest me. Everyone of them wa
doing the same.
Queer, isn't it, that a fellow want
to cinch himself up in the face of Ger
tain death?"-San Francisco Examiner