The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1896-04-02
The DEFENSE OF DAMLI.

For II thing the weather was hot,
for another, the commodore had just
finished a yarn. Markham always
maintained that the atmosphere be-
came sulphurous after the commodore
had recounted a personal "Reminiscences,
but then he was given to eXaggera-
ton. Still we felt grateful that the
story had passed Off without the inter
vention of a thunderbolt, and sat gasp
ing relief and credulity. Then Mild
may, from sheer nervousness, l be-
lieve. not from any desire for a rccur-
renee of the Ananias episode. stirred
up the colonel. The colonel was sit
ting behind a big cheroot, evidently
incubating Il kettle wherein to cook
the commodore a cabbage.
Wonderful escape that, sir" said
Mildmay, addressing the colonel.
Yes, sir. We in the service in the
old days. before it became a school for
step dancing and circus riding, used to
have experiences which the country
,.ever heard Of. Adventures wc"c com
MOI as bilberries. sir. in those days.
Cad, sir, a British soldier in those days
thought no more of walking 1909 miles
through the enemy's country than you
do of step dancing around the park.
"probably, sir, you've never heard Of
the defense of Fort pamli? No. sir. |
don't blame you. sir, if you have not
heard of a feat of arms which pre-
served half a continent for her maj
esty, God bless her. We've all heard
of suppressed dispatches and ingrati-
tude in high places lest the feather
| bed step dancers should be replaced by
men.
at was in-never mind the date, sir,
| and never mind the place. If | men
toned them you would recall the cpl
| sode, and it is not for me to boast by
| telling the full extent of the Sc. ices
it was my good fortune to render this
country.
"A foreign power mo. sir. | will men
ton no name-damme, sir. | hope |
| know my duty better than to rekindle
| international complications had stir
red up the niggers against us. | was
in command of Fort Damli. sir, at that
time, with a handful of men-a mere
| handful-but men, sir, such as your
| bd SNl1bpI w NV L '' ~
days.
Fort Damli is built on a promon-
tory running out into the sea and is
only get-at-able from II side. The
niggers had maSsed all their forces in
the plain in front of the fort. Twenty
thousand of them, Sir-or rather, as |
wish to guard against eXaggeration,
will say that | counted 19,S63-a-
swarming over the plain thick as
cheese mites in a Stilton.
II had ninety-three men all told, in.
Guiding a one-eyed drummer boy, but
we laughed at them, sir, Whenever
the niggerS came at the fort we loaded
our big guns with broken bottles, bed
steads, war office regulations. which
was about the only thing they had sup
piled us with from home, and moved
them down by the dozens. When they
reached the walls my boys, giving
them cold pig, took tea with the mig
gers.
81 used to sit on the powder maya
zine, smoking a cheroot, as comfort
ably as I'm doing now. Cad, sir, how
it all comes back to me! That littlt
devil of a drummer used to nip on
after the fight and mend his drum
with niggers' skins. After about ;
fortnight of it we had the niggers pilet
up three deep facing the fort.
"Well. we had held that fort 70
seven weeks-nO, damme, let's be &C
curate. for forty-eight days-and W
looked like holding it for seven years
or until there wasn't a Niger left tt
come on, when n afternoon, 1t wa
about half-past 4 on Feb. 21-lm no
likely to forget hat date In a hurry
Lieut.. Simkins of the Bombardiers
my subaltern. came to me and said
It's all up, sir. We haven't a roun'
of ammunition left, and the nigger
are preparing for a general assault to
night He was a brave man. wa
SimpkinS-fell afterward at S%eringar
atam, cut clean in half by a cannol
ball-but he looked a bit scared then.
"'Is that all?" | said. oif-hant
Then we shall have some fun wit
the bayonet. l am surprised at yot
sir, for reporting such a trifle.' ATTIC
this rebuke ] turned away, when tn
little drummer almost ran into me i
his excitement.
".Captain,' said he, saluting-l wa
only a captain in those days-'thre
men-of-war reported in TIE bay.
looked out to sea and saw, rs plainl
as | see YOU. sir, three friGatcS staDt
ing on the horizon, flying the-hyin
the flag of the foreign power VIII"
was aiding and abPttinG the nl%GprS.
well. sir. | must admit that when
saw these ships and remembered tina
we had not a grain of powder i'll tn
whale blessed fort, | admit that for
moment felt at Il loss. Another maj
!, who was less anxious To keep to facts
!, might tell YOU that he never heSitatet
but l.. wishing to deal with things Il
they were, | confess | felt at a loss.
Put only for a moment. Iier
, Simpkins said, with a sort of grill
; Now, sir, YOU had better surrender
the Fr-to the foreign power Sir
, answered. dra wing myself up. "A Ton
Iinson dies, hut never ~surrcnderS.
beg your pardon? Yes. sir: quite RICH
Py a peryersion of history these wore
we're attributed To RIucher at Scdal
! But | hope YOU will allow that | ougl
l to know when they We're first Utteret
=, pIuCher may have adapted them.
l make no complaint. We'll, as | SAL
for n momcnt-a breathing space
: felt that the game was indeed up.
sat down on one of the now uSrlei
: fnrtv-pOundcrs to review the Situatlo
4 AS | meditatcd my eye fell on son
' coils of telegraph wire which HudSt
Of the survey department had brou%I
/ into the fort before the outbreak
the disturbance, to connect us with II
e capital. As my glance fell upon it
t thought flashed through my brain.
e "'Sayedr | cried, leaping from Il
cannon. "rhc captains got EN- again
, remarked that devils imp of Il run