The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-31

train escape was bad enough because you couu
have stopped II, and did not As rode up saw ono
Of my poor men fall wounded by shot from
the train, and this made my blood boil. I spoke
In the heat Of passion However, 1t Is oil over
now Here's my hand We will have a drink
"As the evening approached more Beers rode
In so that by sunset six hundred or seven hundred
Of them were In the vicinity. That night about
twenty Of us were herded in small ten by ten sit
ting room under armed guards, and our discomio rt
was added 10 by constant stream OF Beers COM
ing In and out Of the room in half-dozens lust
10 an,use themselves at our expense Fortunately
the bar was under the control Of the Field Cornct.
and the inevitable drunkenness was thus TO GER
tain extent limited. One or two OF the roughcr
youths amused themselves by pointing carbnes
at u.s. and, although checked by their leaders,
there was always q doubt whether one Of the
crowd might not try his Mauser FIRST and be pun
ished after tho mischief was over Altogether
the night was miserable experience, and lew
slept In the heated atmosphere o. that small room
rocking as II did Of stale tobacco and gin guarded
at It's only exit and constantly disturbed by
fresh arrivals anxious to gapc at the prisoners
Other portions OF this letter incidentally throw
a vivid light on the kind OF men the Bocr comman-
dos arc made up OF. The following passage
shows how quickly they get to work when their
Commandant Ben vnioen and his men arrived
early and took up a strong position among
tho stony kopios mile to the east OF Glands
laagte About o A. NJ. the scouts brought In
word Of an English force npproachnE In a
remarkably short time hundreds Of Beers were
in tho saddle, and directed FIRST by rather mel,n,
by numerous Whistles such az are used by Eng
llsh police, of in small part tens or TWEEN
ties II the direction OF Ladysnth. Aiter Colnle
OF hours anxious wait for results the Beers
returned. having had no engagement we con.
cludol the Bper scouts IA come into to ch with
some roconnoitring force whic had re turred
tocamr after ascenaining their locale.
In This passage ,hstr Is a picinIc Il he s,"In
+. c. ptenaat and reminded him 81 his promise
of permits lie shrugged his shoulders, told me
g. h Rdsb V %sn had slrG r 10
previous evening Choosing favorable M
mcnt thctrfre. I GO, the General alone Ilis
advanced age and venerable appearance, wonder.
fully nrm; hut sinrl' glance ~ his cold express
lie apparently did not speak English with ease,
and called M one who was a''"rwari in'nrmed
was his son, Judge koch and very drlitCTa,,lv
here AZ least an ihcT two lays, unii ,te 'arti RI
Of another commando. when a council ii he held,
II you remain here You will Ne protected hut II any
e you src found On the v,it, y,uwill lr shot tn.
timr Evidently We are tiscd f'r tine c.'' '''
A couple Of hours after this was sent for by
Gen. KOCH Could J. he asked, find sail deal
tor rarpariin) wagon q ammmnii had bro
ken down In smut some two nils istart, and
the night promised to be wet. promised, scring
In the comniissi n an opportunity TO $50 what was
afoct and knowing, moreover. that his own m"n
could have got u sail anyh ~ II had declined to
flnd one. An escort was found me, and went ~
found case Of d. nariii,c. which had cvid, ntly
been brought from the G. III cry magazine, distant
about hall a mile A trcmrndous hammcrin;
was going n in the Office. and entctii {, IND
an Ofiicer using hammer and apparently OPEN
ing up or mailing down the floor. | NJ once Cun-
nrcted the case 81 explosives with the hammer
ing, and suspected that the building Was t,ing
mined. Before there was tine 10 ,"e what vas
and Wncn replied that Gen. kuch had sent me
for a sail was told. Go back and tell Gen. hoch
don know him
But tic officers maintain discipline Of sort,
az witnesses tho following story Of u duck.
The Il, tcr!luon Dragged WcHrlly On, and several
oil our party had turn AT cG"Hns none u tnc
attempts seeming particularly salts GCioEy
Knives end FORKS crockcry. &C. were RAPIDLY
disappearing, and our usual eating habits were
following suit Those whOd dill not cure t. sasith
a piece Of hHl!.,ookci mutton ROM the top VI
the kitchener and cat il kEi.ir fashion stood
good chance o. going hungry. ljy chance how
ever had n dinner Ul roast duck that night
Passing couple oI officers at the table. one o.
them asked me - Join them and paSSCl ne 81 1t
he called a duck With history 10 help myself
be ore ho and his brother yicer tcEan. Tic
duck, according to his tale, had hcl JNgcd 20 I. .
promoter o the hotel. AMI one o. the CROUCH bursL-
ers, seeing II. had cut uH It's head wtIh ni' mex
KIN c, and was making Uh Win has pr.ar when uo
stumbled into the arms oi II field currct who
demanded particulars ~ the wry in which the
duck came into his possession No salts GCtury
explanation being forthcoming, he MAS der ri. Ell
OF his duck and sentenced trcTc ana then y teen
laslcs III lieu th"Tup. he duck was ullru
insiGo and cooked lor the officer ana, together
Win plentiful supply OF Potatoes, proved IN
peti1ing dish
"W e then let the s,ston premises and wen,
TO one OF the collicry EIilrEF. %hcfe n trim ot
military stores was being Footed My nj! SION
and my escort together enabled ne e. 60 down
the entire trHin. and watch &c rrIccc"'Nr9
without inter croncr In ono Wagon u,'eGs
o. new military saddles were found ana thlS
enCE!cG the 'Boers 10 make usc o. To numerous
! horses they had captured on th":r Wy .luwn.
Another truck contained whsle, Which EpS
destroyed az soon rs found, the i"nl"rH ;Sluk.
ing II nadvisablc To ALLOW whisnry to -ct hr3"U.s
their followers by the case Further hi,s.g I, .
train we're found meal, -Four trcai. c,o,sirg
others baggage bHndNmcn's uu ,Tys END ~.
immediately annexed end otlcf Cnois were
thrown out OF the trucks and rIcacd 10 by r.c
scores Of indians anu natives who were EN-,
seen as the Beers found tie officers Gas-u C
and tho 6audsMen,s uniforms one O tc
, toughest managed to squeeze his cot into a
pAtr u. patent leather top boots and exchange
his coarse Jacket Tor scarlet bantmastrr tllnlc
so attlred he walked OF with cGrLnc in ono hand
anu poot.LTec IN the other, 10 doubt benz 81
as,rrtanlng what the latter was use or
Another sat Tor some tine making vigorous
was minus mouthpcce; and, when he found
! y unwoEhable he threw II down and tran Ned
1 me shape out y! " Among other nlGS the
! Beers got number of polo sticks tennis achct,
chess boards ioldlng cIairs each bearing r,mc
officers name). and many similar things anil
these were the cause u much IN Nvl rnule COM
ment Jn tho part 81 the BOcr officers who failed
10 SEQ the need oil them However the folding
cheirs, at least, were use nj, although IL did n Il
seem 10 be quite IN the fitness NJ III nys - sec
Cen Koch Or FIELD CDrnct PO,gicter SIT a, risr in
chair which bore in large letters on lis back,
Capt - H. Ii, or Lieut.. ----. r. F."
, The l5ocrs, too seem 10 bc able to sing snurg
other than hymns and psalms, for on the second
night ihoy had smoking concert As our stay
seemed likely TO prove long one, and the hours
/ dragged WchfIy on, n smoking concert was
mouted, whether by OUc men or by II, i!oers
J cannot say, but whoever gets the credit al tho
initiative. II was duly arranged. and Field COR
net Picnaar WAS rcady and willing To- tale thc
chair, Duly at y, NJ, ne Appeared and nj
once, had some choice whisley and cigars pjncri
on the table, and he filed up and handed round
to bnton and Bocr imponiaIly., Tho whieacy
Was consigned 10 some Of our British officer,
al Dundee aud Pcnaat ioCularly admired thcir
choice Of whiSkcy and indeed ny the night
advanced, he quite warmed up To the officers
VINO r. he put IT, were not ~ had as he thought
a. evidenced by lhcir good taste. Poor Plcunnr
had right royal time, and probably never had
loer night in his life II was his last on
earth t,l, i2r ere another sun had sci BE- was
stretched dead on the battlefield within n mIis
oi the scene ! have lust mentioned, after from