The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-21

curred-an incident eminently Characters
tic of the frontier tribes. As the svces
We're putting the rugs and clothing on the
polo ponies and lettering about the ground
after the game, the watching natives drew
near, and advised them TO be off home at
once. for there was going to be fight.
They knew, these Pathans, what was com
ing.
Suddenly, in the stiffness of the night.
bugle call sounded on The parade ground
OF the crater camp Every one sprans
| up. IL was the assembly For moment
| there was silence while the officers seized
their swords and belts and hurriedly fast
ened them on. Several thinking that it
was merely a warning for the movable
column to fall in, waited TO light their
| cigarettes, Then from many quarters the
loud explosion of n1usketry burst forth,
sound which for six days and nights was
to know no intermission.
The attack on the Malakand and the
| great frontier war had begun
Six days and nights of fierce fighting
followed and numberless deeds of valor
were recorded on both sides. Here is a
sample of the Incidents recalled:
'Brigadier-Gener Meikeljohn at once
| ordered party of the Twenty-fourth to
! retake it Ghe captured Quarter Guard,
from the enemy. Fey men could be spared
from the line of defense. AT length a small
but devoted band collected 1t consisted of
Capt. Holland, Lieut. Chino, Lieut. Man
ley, the generals orderly, a Sepoy of the
Forty fifth Sikhs two or three sappers
and three men of the Twenty-fourth; in all
about a dozen.
The general placed himself at their
head. The officers drew their revolvers.
Inc men were instructed to use the bayo-
net only. Then they advanced. The ground
Is by nature broken and confused to an
extraordinary degree. Great rocks. undu-
lations and trees, rer dered all movements
dlfhcult; numerous tents, sheds and other
buildings increased its intricacies. Amongst
all TINS were tie figures of the enemy,
numerous and we'll armed. The twelve
men changed. Tue tribesmen advanced to
| meet them. The officers shot down man
after man with their pistols. The soldiers
| DaSoneted others. Tie enemy drew off dis
| comf1ted, but half lie party were killed or
wounded The orderly was shot dead A
| sapper and a havidaI of the Twenty
| fourth were severely wounded. The gen
| eral himself was struck by a sword on the
neck Luckily, the weapon turned in his as
| sailants hand and only caused a bruise
| Capt. Holland was shot through the pack
| at close quarters ty a man concealed in
| tent. The bullet, which caused four
| wounds, grazad his spine. The party wac
| now too few 10 effect anything The sur
| ed officer back, and collecting a dozen
more men of the Twenty-fourth returned
! to the attack. The second attempt to re-
| gain the Quarter Guard was also unsue-
| cessful, and the soldiers recoiled with FUR
! Their loss; but with that undaunied spirit
| which refuses TO admit defeat they con-
tinued their efforts and at the third charge
dashed across the open space bowling over
| and crushing back the enemy, and tie post
| thus All ha fe;,
had, however, been carried off by the enc
| my and as the expenditure of that night
| mao already been enormous. ii was a Sc
| rlous loss. The commissariat lines were at
| length cleared of the tribesmen and such
of the garrison as could be spared were
employed in putting up hasty defense
| across the south entrance of the enclosure
| and clearing away the cook-houses and
| other shelters which might be seized by
| the enemy.
| The next morning no fewer than TWEEN
ty-nine corpses of tribesmen were found
| round the cook house and in the open
| space over which the three charges mad
| taken place. This, when it is remember
| ed that perhaps twice as many had been
| wounded and had crawled away. enables
| an estimate to be formed of the desperate
nature of the fight for the Quarter Guard
Some idea of the spirit of the British
Indian troops can be formed from this
| description:
''The Guides Cavalry had already arriv-
| ed. Their infantry, under Lieut.. Lock-
| hart, reached the KotaI at so D. m. on the
9th, having, in spite of the intense heat
and choking dust, covered thirty-two miles
in seventeen aud a. half hours. This Won
| derful feat was accomplished without inn
pairing the efficiency of the soldiers who
We're sent into the picket line, and became
/ engaged as soon as they arrived An Of
| fcer who commanded the Dargai post told
me that as they passed the guard there
they shouldered arms with parade precis-
ion, to show that twenty-six miles under
the hottest sun in the world would not
take the polish off the Corps of Guides
Then they breasted the long ascent to the
top of the pass, encouraged by the sound
of the firing, which grew louder at every
step.
OF the examples of heroism contained
in the book just published, the following
is taken, at haphazard
Lieut.. Ford was dangerously wounded
in the shoulder. The bullet cut the ar
terry. and he was bleeding to death when
ESurgeon Lieutenant V. Hugo came to his
aid. The fire was too hot to allow Of
lights being used. There was no cover OF
any sort 1t was at the bottom of the
cup. Nevertheless, the surgeon struck a
match, at the peril of his life and exam
ined the wound. The match went out
amid a splutter of bullets, which kicked
up the dust all around but, by its uncer-
tain light, he saw the nature of the in
jury. The officer has already tainted from
the loss of blood. The doctor seized the
artery and, as no other llgature was
Forthcoming, he remained under the fire
for three hours, holding a mans life be-
tween his finger and thumb.
"When. at length, it seemed the enemy
had broken into the camp he picked up
the still unconscious officer in his arms,
and, without relaxing his hold, bore him
to a place of safety His arm was many
hours paralyzed with cramp from the cf-
fects of the exertion of COMPRISING the
artery. / think there are few, wha tev II
may be their views of interest. who will
not applaud this splendid act of devotion -
The book abounds in strong descriptions
of gallant lighting, pleasing to all young
or old civilian or military men. But space
will not allow further lifting of the veil.
DUTIES ON KLONDIkE OUTFITS.