The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1899-02-04

road, man anu morse. I1odleu Will
bullets. Routledge ran for cover into
the bush, but was never seen again.
After the arrival of the relief, the
enemy fora time practically ceased tir-
ing, though tie watchers knew they
remained concealed in their vicinity.
For the promised reward OF $500, q
singularly plucky Cape boy named
Hendritz was induced to ride to Sails
bury with a dispatch asking for re-
enforcement OF forty men. and one
Maxim gun.
On the Gwebi Flats he met Inspec-
tor Nesbit OF the police, with a patrol
consisting Of Troopers OSllTle, Ear-
bord, IcGregor, Byron, Eamonds.
Arnot, A. Nesbit, Berry, Van Staa1en,
Zimmerman. McGeer and Jacobs
thirteen men in all.
The Inspector eiectea to rrccec%i ut
once to the Mazoe, without Hais.ns
for further reinforcements, and partly
on account Of the darkness, and part
ly owing to the enemy making sure OF
them on the return journey, they
reached the Mazoe without fighting.
The party now numbered thirty
men and three women; and after the
new arrivals had fed and rested thelr.
horsse. all hands set about preparing
for their departure.
Judson had tue two sides, and to an
extent the back OF the wsgonette
armored with sheet-iron, which-as
was observed at the time-dtted so
well, that it seemed to have been
made for the purpose. The mules had
all been shot or lost, so six men were
dismounted, and the six troop horses
inspanned in their place, though they
had never been in harness before.
The order of march was al advance
guard of five mounted men and elghS
on foot, aud then q rear guard OF
seven mounted and eight foo5men. 4
start was made before noon.
The thick bushes and koojes were
alive with thousands upon thousands
of the enemy Offered by experienced
Matabele, and armed with Lee-Met-
ford, Martins and elephant guns,
cranmed with pot-less and evsry varl-
ETY. Of slug.
Mounted natives never ceased to
halass the rear guard, and pressed it
so close that ct one point halt had
to be made, aud vol!ey after roliey
fired to drive them back. 4 few min
utes afterwards Lieutenant McGeer
fell, and his horse bolted, but was
pluekiiy ridden after and recaptured
BY Hendriks. Then two OF the patrol
had their horses shot dead uader
them. Jadson and Stamford-Brown
rar back to see McGesr, aud found
him liieless, WITH several BULLETS
through his-head. All this while the
op amy fer Ii IL r.ost Ee0t reJaaiDe ed hid
den, The grass edging the roadside be-
ing from eight to nine feet high. IN
this dense cover the natives squatted,
and took pot-shots at tue patrol, who
had only flashes and puts Of smoke TO
aim at in return.
About mile from the Tatagora
Drift, where the road winds between
the. foot of large kopje and the river,
annihilation seemed certain. The
blacks were swarmed to within three
yards OF the road, and bullets seemed
to rain upon the horses from every
quarter. Here one OF the leaders OF
! the team was shot through the head,
but not killed, and kept its place. I'M
mediately after, however, the off-side
wheeler fell morta!ly wounded, and
while Brown and Salthouse were strus-
Cling to cut him loose, the near wheeler
was killed and almost fell on Salthouse.
Next Jacobs and Van Staadeu were
shot dead, the latter falling with the
side of his head completely blown
away. Arnot was cut of from his
coimrade, but eventually escaped. Hen
driks in the advance guard was shot
right through the jaws and mouth,
and was ordered to abandon the con-
voy and save himself. Ogiivie was
shot and severely injured; and Burton,
receiving q terrible wound - right
! through the face--just managed to
Chamber into the wagon. and fell bleed
ing amoDg the horriied women.
Still the a;con;z=d procession forged
! slowly ahead, and still the four re-
.maiolng horses painfully dragged the
! wagonette, blood pouring from the
! nose and mouth Of the wounded leader.
| The advance guard now made a Sc
ries OF charges OIL the amousaes ahead,
and so diverted some Of the lire. from
; the wagonstte. At the end Of that
terrible valley, ruse de. grerre was
+ attempted, the advance guard riding
forward and cheering wildly as ii they
sighted advancing relief. The cheer
ing was taken up by the rest-and the
ruse succeeded.
The firing slackened OF percepti5ly,
and soon ceased altogether; aud be-
fore they reached the Gwebi River al
pursuit was abandoned.
| With one halt, varied By a false
alarm that the natives were again in
sight, they toiled painfully over the
intervening seventeen miles, reaching
Salisbury Laager about len o'clock.
They received sn lndesccioabie oya-
ton, it being reported thai all were
killed. The attack on the Alice Mine
and the reliefs had lasted, with bat
little intermissic1, more than sixty
hours. .~ 49,.
Inspector Nesbit-possibly because
he was connected with q force more
nearly allied to- the regular forces