Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-05-26
WHEN DANGER IS NEAR.
Then is the Time When Most Men
VIII Tighten Their Belts.

There were two men lowering d
heavy caSk of wine into a San Fran
cisco cellar the other day, and one Of
them asked the other to stand by
moment. The man stood by and the
first speaker took an extra hitch in
the belt that held up his overhalls.
That's queer" said Perry Ingram
to an Examiner man, who was passing
at the time q saw ten men do that
in the face Of certain death, and of the
other 250 who were with us / guess
nine in every ten did the same. I know
| did anyhow. Can't tell why, because
IL never thought the matter over, but
I'll swear that if / ever get into ano-
Their fix like that again I'll do the
same thing over. 1t was during the
Basutu war of 1880. / was Il trooper
there at the time, and was one of the
500 and odd that composed the Kim
berry horse. If there ever was set
Of not care continental scallawagS in
Queen Victoria's uniform it was that
same gang of rough riders. We fought
all right, of course, but that was all
we were good for. Honestly, I think
half the troop was made up OF eXcon-
yiCtS, and the balance Of that class
Of Adventures who had pioneered the
road to the South African diamond
fields. We were in fort on Thlotse
heights; the Basutus, about 5000 strong
were amusing themselves potting at us
from the other side of the ThlOtSe riy-
er, and one day they took it into their
heads to send about 1000 warriors
across the stream. over fOrdS above
and below us to do us up. AS 1T hap
pened that morning, about $50 OF us
were detailed to escort Il couple of six
Founders up the hill to the fort from
below, and on our return trip the Basu-
tus got between us and the encamp-
ment. We threw out in open file while
they rode down on us-they were we'll
mounted, were those BasutuS-and
we had orders to hold fire until they
were aobut hundred 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. Dis
mounting from their horses, they sieZ-
ed their assegais-the hill was black
with them-and they rushed on us like
the hounds of hell.
Its all up now boys thought I,
for when those chaps take it into their
they do it.
"While | was thruSting another car
fridge into my rifle, l felt queer about
the throat and somehow, 1 can't tell
how, it seemed as though my stomach
was empty. Now / know what it is
to be scared and l was not frightened
then. There was no time to get fright
ened. 1t was just stand and fight till
you dropped dead full Of spearholes.
I l laid down my rifle for a second to
| loosen my revolver in its case, and then
from some involuntary instinct that
Il cannot explain, l drew in my
belt a couple of inches around my
waist. AS I did so I looked around at
! the fellows nearest me. Every one
Of them was cinching up just the same
as myself. Just for a momnet every
thing on our side was silence, and the
! Basutus were not seventy yards away.
Then we all began blazing away again
and yelling as men do in battle. The
fire frightened the blacks. They came
within fifty yards of us. then turned
tail and fled 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 was
to be utterly wiped off the earth. II
was suffocating day, so laid down
my gun to wipe the sweat and powder
from my forehead. Then / set about
loosening my belt. As did so / turn
ed to the ten fellows nearest me
Everyone of them was doing the same
i Heirs to lands at Homestead. Pa. or