Connecticut western news., 1896-02-20
A TASTE OF BLOOD.

Ile. on the Natal border, to Standerton, and had to ride through country occu pied by the eremy. We knew from ex- perience that the Boers had parties out on all the roads to intercept messengers, but as I was pretty we'll acquainted with those parts and had good horse hoped to slip through. without being noticed, by cross country route. I had got over more than half my journey when. just about dusk, saw a solitary BoeI 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 mo, stood where was, behind clulnp of rocks.
 My horse and I were both in need of rest, so as darkness came on I moved down into a grass grown donga below the rocks, where the horse coull graze and whence I could see any one ap- preaching by his being defined against the sky line. I 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 end.
 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 ard for a few moments with pricked ITS. 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 n .g- few seconds later the figure of a man loomed up clear and black against the moonlit sky, moving along the top of the "kopje" in stealthy, stepping po- sition. Hat, beard and rife proclaimed him to be Boer. Time, locality and posture told that he was searching for me. Mechanically brought my carbine to the ready" As 1 did so he stopped and slowly sank behind stone. Either
 
 my horse had caught his attention. was in the deep shadow of an overhang ing rock, and my horse was tehind me, effectually concealed by projecting corner of the bank. never took my eye of the spot where the enemy had disap- peared- The minutes dragged by like hours as I watched without seeing sign.
 Could he have slipped away from there altogether and perhaps be creeping down behind me somewhere? dared not take my gaze of 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 herbage. At last 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 a more extended view or to look into the ground more immedi- ately under his position, and now l saw ,,,, md hO< lu .Is V houetted against the sky, almost under the moon. Quickly raised my carbne to my shoulder. The barrel shone like bar of silver as pointed it for his head Slowly and steadily I lowered the fore end till the bar was diminished into single spark shining against the lower part of the black figure. He never moved, and all the while my brain kept repeating those lines of Gordon's:
 How strange that a man should miss
 When hi, life depends on his aimi
 How strange that a 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 momentary vision of two hands thrown up against the sky and then blank darkness My horse, startled by the report. first claimed my atten- tion. and then. as I slipped in one of my two remaining cartridges, wondered what next should be done.
 Was the man dead or shamming? Had | he friends near who would be attracted by the report? Should I stay where I was or make bolt? finally decided | to wait few minutes and watch. Not a sound. Nothing moved So carefully and quietly I crept up the donga, and by detour made my way to
 the back of the pile of rocks A move | ment in their shadow caused me 10 drop
 flat among the stones, till saw that it | was only the Boer's 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 safe? Cau-
 tiously crept nearer and nearer, with
 my carbine ready. Still no sign. Al
 last see something. Is it branch or g | crevice? It is rife, and its shadow
 lying across the rocks. Enoughl Even ii
 alive he is in my power now. wall
 boldly forward. There, near the rife,
 down among the stones, is huddled
 heap It is the first man l have ever
 shot. don't quite know what to do.
 push him with my foot. No response,
 He is dead. How strange it seems 4
 few minutes ago this dead bundle wa;
 as full of life as I. Every muscle and
 nerve, every sensation in fullest work
 ing order, and now but one little act ot | AL IL F. Al
 Only now the moon was looking dowr |