Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-08-12

bGtncQ IL III love. from unSef UPS TO WTlSt.
The wandering veins that felt his lips impress
Throbbed with new life the moment they
were kissed.
The hand ITSELF thus blest, shall strive to be
Worthy its honor, and shall only write
Words consecrate to high and lofty life
From this time On in memory If tonight.
Anne Reeve Aldrich.
INANAFRICAN MP
Behind the colonies and protectorates
| Of Great Britain and France, which ex
tend in a broken line along the west
! African coast, from the mouth of the
Gambia to the Niger, lies wild and
| little known region Of swamp and for
est, where but lew white len have set
| their feet, inL:. :.bited by ,..any negro
races, differing widely in physique and
language from one another. For the last
three years strange stories have. been
brought down to the seaboard about the
doings Of all Arab chief called Samory.
The latter, at tie head of :, large fol-
lowing of desperate men, outcasts from
many tribes, Mandingoes, Jalufs, Sofas,
| Senegalis and deserters from both Brit
ish and French native troops has made
his name terror throughout the chin
terland, sacking villages and carrying
away the inhabitants into the far Su-
dan
During 1898 he ralded the eastern
portion of Senegal, and the French lost
a number of white officers in the hard
| fighting necessary to drive him out.
More than once, too, they were badly
beaten, for the assailants were armed
with high class rifles, smuggled through
from the coast in spite Of certain clauses
in the treaty of Brussels. IN the latter
| part of 1898 this Arab leader induced
| the Sofas, q warlike tribe dwelling in
| the debatable land between the small
British colony Of Sierra Leone and the
French territory Of Senegal, to take up
arms against the Europeans, and quite
unknown to each other British and a
French expedition marched from differ
ent points to attack him.
One afternoon at the end Ct December
in that year small British force, COM
prising detachments Of black Moham-
| medan Haussas Of the frontier constabu-
!; larry and negroes Of the west Indian regi-
ment from Sierra Leone, stumbled
through the dense forests Of the Kongo
country. The Gay had been intensely
hot, for this is the dry season in west
/! Africa. The tired troops dragged them
selves painfully along, with company
of Krooboy bearers ahead. slashing a
pathway for them through almost i'm
penetrable thickets. At sunset they
reached small. clear space, surround
ing deserted village, and there, at the
word of command, the wclnout men
were glad to pile their arms and prepare
to camp.
| A rough breastwork Of brushwood
was soon arranged in hollow square,
and throwing themselves down on the
moist earth, amid the crimson shoots OF
trailing plants and flowers of many
hues, the soldiers spread their simple
meal, the tall Haussas in their crimson
fez and dark rife uniform separating
themselves from the men Of the west
Indian regiment, for the latter profess
debased form Of Christianity mixed
with black practices, and the true Mus
sulman will not, if he can help it, eat
with the infidel.
The young west Indian lieutenant on
guard leaned against the great buttress
shaped roots of e cottonwood, and as he
mopped the perspiration from his brow
and fought the bloodthirsty mosquitoes
with both hands, said wicked things
about the fate that led him into ''this
disthressful country" He was an Irish
man, and when lie abused things in gen
eral, as frontier officers occasionally do,
the powerful eloquence OF the Celtic
tongue relieved his feelings best. From
time to time he locked out into the
darkness, but there was little to be seen
the shadow of the trees closed round
the camp like wall, and no souno
other than the usual night voices OF the
!, African forest broke the stiffness. From
hidden creek came the fouldering and
splashing Of an alligator; at times the
branches of the cottonwoods ratified as
monkey swung himself from bough te
bough, or the rustling of grasses marked
the passage Of huge snake.
The white man at last found the spell
of the forest, which at times will cause
r panic even among the natives, though
no one knows why, creeping over him
( His hands trembled as he settled the
chin straps of his pith helmet. "Pah
how this night watching gets on ones
nerves. - he said; sit shows what the
climate will bring a man to. Even tht
, drip, drip CT TIE water there is enough
, to drive me mad Hellop' He sprans
r back, with hand on his revolver butt
as a dark figure rose up out CT the bushes
beside him.
Sergeant Amun Sab" said tai
Haussa, saluting; "think there be Sofi
man in the bush; monkey frightened
: live for go away, leopard live for g
away too.
The lieutenant listened, while tn
veins frightened across his forehead
and something seemed to click beneath
his right ear, and sure enough rustllnl
amid the trees announced the passage O
a troop of monkeys, while the Ion.
= howl of leopard drifted down tn
night breeze.
} A few moments later all doubt van
i ished, for swapping of twigs ant
e swishing of leaves told that large bod.
! of men was advancing through tn
. forest.
!, At the report Of the lieutenant's re
: volver the camp awoke, and for fev
! moments, while the bugles rang out tn
alarm, there was scene of wild confu
e sion. Men still half asleep stumble'
j., over one another toward the stockade
b Officers ran here and there with sharl
y words Of command, while the Hauss
Q sergeants effectually aroused any lag
/ CARDS with the rifle butt. If the soldle
: was west Indian, the hint was eve
!. more vigorous. Then out OF chaos cam
forth order. Lines Of men knelt beneatl
d the byushwood screen, supporting thel
is rifle barrels on the branches against tn
downward drag OF the bayonet, VIII
the colonel moved coolly up and dow
= revolver in hand. and saw that all W;
ready.
> Just in time, for an outburst OF now
r and yells rose on the night air. A era
Q king blaze of rife fire ran round Il
II bush. and while the bullets sang owe