Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1896-02-11
A TASTE OF BLOOD.

It was in the Boea war Of 1879. !
was sent with a dispatch from Newcas-
tie, on the Natal border, to Standerton,
and had to ride through a 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 / was pretty we'll acquainted
with those parts and had a good horse I
hoped to slip through, without being
noticed, by cross country route. had
got over more than half my journey
when, Just about dusk, saw solitary
BOer riding in the distance. He disap-
peared almost Immediately in a fold in
tho ground, and SO, hoping that he had
not in that brief moment discovered me,
stood where was, behind a clump Of
rocks.
My horse and were both in need OF
rest, SO as darkness came on ] moved
down into a grass grown donga below
the rocks, where the horse could Craze
and whence l 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 a 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, looked forward to
getting soon to my journeys ond.
AS the moon rose behind the rocks
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
loomed up clear and black against the
moonlit sky, moving along the top OF
the "kopje" in stealthy, STOPPING po-
sition. Hat, beard and rife proclaimed
him to be q Boer. Time, locality and
posture told that he was searching for
me. Mechanically brought my carbine
to the "ready. 30 As did so he stopped
and slowly sank behind a stone. Either
a CLINT Of my weapon or sound from
my horse had caught his attention.
was in the deep shadow of an overhang.
ing rock, and my horse was behind me,
effectually concealed by a projecting
corner of the bank. never took my eye
off the spot where the enemy had disap
peared. The minutes dragged by lik'
hours as 1 watched without seeing
sign.
, Could he have slipped away from
there altogether and perhaps be creeping
; down behind me somewhereY dare'
not take my gaze off the place for a sin
gle moment, and the tension of waiting
gradually became almost unbearable
NV heart was humping away all tn
{ while with suppressed excitement. al
4 most drowning the only other SCUM
8 audible in the surrounding dead still
Q ness, the sound of my horse contentedl
! cropping the herbage. At last a move
: ment BY the stone was watching, an
3 l saw his head rise slowly and quietl
u peer about. 1t seemed almost like ba
i dream to watch this specter SO noisolesi
q " exerting all his craft to find me
' order to take my life.
i How steadily he stared into my dong
! with his head only just above the stones
q But he could not see me, his eyes coul
not pierce the darkness Of my hidin
IT place
i Seeing nothing, he gradually raise
ss himself to gain more extended view
ID to look into the ground more immed
, ately under his position, and now sa
l- his head, shoulders and body clearly 81
- , houetted against the sky, almost und
= the moon. Quickly raised my carbil
- to my shoulder. The barrel shone like
N bar Of silver as pointed it for his hea
OF Slowly and steadily / lowered the 70
g. end till the bar was diminished into
y, single spark shining against the low
ut part Of the black figure. Ho new
O. moved, and all the while my brain ke
OF repeating those lines of Gordon'a;
How strange that man should miss
he When his life depends on his aiml
Is, How strange that . man should miss
n When his life
II, At the right moment hand and q
be worked mechanically Ia unison, Q
'al through the roar and red blaze that 4
az lowed / had q momentary vision OF +
90 hands thrown up against the sky a
~ then blank darkness. My horse, start
,a. by the report, first claimed my etts
he tion, and then. as slipped in one Of J
he two remaining cartridges, l wonder
lie what next should be done.
at Was the man dead or shammingi =
lh- he friends near who would be attrac
ne by the reportg Should / stay wher
,t oi was or make a boltl finally deci'
.he h TO wait few minutes and watch.
~ ,rv Not a sound Nothing moved.
ere carefully and quietly crept up
He donga, and by detour made my way
pu- the back Of the pile Of rocks. A mo
inn ment in their shadow caused me TO d
ind fat among the stoneH, till saw tina
70 was only tho Boer's horse quietly q
'n,, ing out into the moonlight. SO the =
W was still there, but was no alive
inc waiting, on was no dead and safef Z
,itv tioualy cropt nearer and nearer, v
my carbine ready. Still no sign.
last / 500 something. Is il branch
erevice? Il Is a rifle, and its sha'
-. r.-t.... =. .....,... a. a .o.Iu Nuounh Irvn