Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-10-26
A TASTE OF BLOOD.

A TASTE OF BLOOD.
1t was in the Boer war of 1879. I
was sent with a dispatch from Newcas-
tie, on the Natal border, to Standerton,
and had to ride through country occu-
pied by the enemy. We knew from ex-
perience that the Beers had parties out
on all the roads to intercept messengers,
but as I was pretty well acquainted
with those parts and had good horse I
hoped to slip through, without being
noticed, by cross country route. I had
got over more than half my journey
whom, just about dusk, saw solitary
Boer riding in the distance. He disap-
peared almost Immediately in fold in
the ground, and SO, hoping that he had
not in that brief moment discovered me,
I stood where was, behind clump of
rocks.
My horse and I were both in need Of
rest, so as darkness came Oh l moved
down into grass grown donga below
the rocks, where the horse could Craze
and whence I could see any one ap-
preaching by his being defined against
the sky line. / had had the misfortune
during the day to lose one Of my saddle
bags, thanks to rotten strap, and found
myself in consequence without food and
without any more ammunition than the
cartridge in my carbine and two spare
ones in my pocket, and SO, for more
reasons than one, I looked forward to
getting soon to my journeys end.
As the moon rose behind the rocks I
began to think of starting on my way
again, when suddenly my nerves were
put on the qui vive by my horse chuck
ing up his head and staring forward for
a few moments with pricked ears. Then,
without having stopped chewing, he
dropped his muzzle back into the dewy
grass and went on grazing as though
dewy grass bred no such thing as "horse
sickness. Following the direction Of
his stare fancied saw something NOV
ing in the shadow of the rocks, and a
few seconds later the figure Of man
doomed up clear and black against the
moonlit sky, moving along the top Of
the "kopje' in stealthy. STOPPING po-
sition. Hat, beard and rifle proclaimed
him to be Boer. Time, locality and
posture told that he was searching for
me. Mechanically I brought my carbine
to the "ready." AS did SO he stopped
and slowly sank behind stone. Either
CLINT Of my weapon or sound from
my horse had caught his attention. I
was in the deep shadow Of all overhang-
ing rock, and my horse was behind me,
effectually concealed by projecting
corner Of the bank. Inever took my eye
off the spot where the enemy had disap-
peared. The minutes dragged by like
hours as / watched without seeing
sign.
Could he have slipped away from
there altogether and perhaps be creeping
down behind me somewhere? I dared
not take my gaze off the place for sim
gle moment, and the tension of waiting
gradually became almost unbearable.
My heart was humping away all the
while with suppressed excitement, al
most drowning the only other sound
audible in the surrounding dead still
ness, the sound Of my horse contentedly
cropping the heritage At last a move
ment by the stone was watching, and
! saw his head rise slowly and quietly
peer about. It seemed almost like bad
dream to watch this specter SO noiseless-
ly exerting all bis craft to find me in
order to take my life.
How steadily he stared into my donga
with his head only just above the stones!
But he could not see me. his eyes could
not pierce the darkness Of my hiding
place.
Seeing nothing, he gradually raised
himself to gain more extended view or
to look into the ground more immedi-
ately under his position, and now saw
his head, shoulders and body clearly sill
houetted against the sky, almost under
the moon. Quickly l raised my carbine
to my shoulder. The barrel shone like
bar Of silver as pointed it for his head.
Slowly and steadily l lowered the fore
end till the bar was diminished into
single spark shining against the lower
part Of the black figure. He never
and all the while my brain kept
those lines of Gordon's:
How strange that a man should miss
Whom his life depends on his aiml
How strange that q man should miss
When his life
At the right moment hand and eye
worked mechanically in unison, and
through the roar and red blaze that fol-
lowed ! had o momentary vision of two
hands thrown up against the sky and
then blank darkness. My horse, startled
by the report, first claimed my atten-
ton, and then. as I slipped in one Of my
two remaining cartridges, wondered
what next should be done.
Was the man dead or shamming2 Had
he friends near who would be attracted
by the report? Should I stay where I
was or make bolt9 I finally decided
to wait few minutes and watch.
Not sound. Nothing moved. So
and quietly I crept up tho
donga, and by detour made my way to
the back Of the pile Of rocks A move
mant in their shadow caused me to drop
fat among the stones, till I saw that it
was only the Beers horse quietly graz
ing out into the moonlight. So the man
was still there, but was he alive and
waiting, or was he dead and safer eau
tiously crept nearer and nearer, with
my carbine ready. Still no sign. Az
last see something. Is IL branch or
crevice? It is a rifle, and Its shadow
lying across the rocks. Enough! Even II
alive he is in my power now. I walk