Arizona republican., 1899-12-12

camp. There was consultation ct the
general staff, and then we moved for
ward again. Right ahead there loonced
lone round hill, and the head of the
column was making its way among the
rocks at it's base. There wera some
among us who grumbled, and said we
We're running our heads into a moose.
but we were desperate, and nobody
cared much as long as We got at the
enemy in open battle. Up the hill we
toiled in silence, and NOT a sound was
heard as we reached the top, took up
our posts, and prepared to wait for
daylight.
The cold chilled US to the bone as We
wrapped what clothes we'd got about
us and tried to cheer ourselves with in
ward thoughts of the morrow. Yet not
man grumbled, and the general. who
moved among us and gave his orders
to the company commanders, stopped
along the line.
Presently gray light in the east be-
tokened the coming day The darkness
gradually cleared, and the broad Afri-
can landscape unfolded itself to our
eyes. Below us lay the I3oer camp. all
quiet and peaceful. The brItes we.e
just up, anu lHey
from out their tents and wagons they
stretched themselves AMI looked up to
the summit of Majuba for signs of rain
to freshen the veldt.
And then there was a hubbub Bu-
giles sounded and rifles cracked, and in
less than half an hour the Boer army
was swarming among the rocks at the
foot of the hill and popping off our men
like nine-pinS.
We prayed for open space anG Il fair
fight. We saw the mistake our gene
raj had made and doggedly determined
to stand it. And all the time our lads
fell like sheep, without power of retail
alton. Scarcely target showed for
our bullets. Yet from out the rocks
and for each splutter of fire and smoke
some poor chap went tuniblin5 down
the hill.
We knew we'd only got 10 ba patient
to the end, and our thoughts went back
to that scene as the troopshio sailed
away and left the dear Ones we should
never see again. 1 thought of it all.
and especially the captain and his
young wife. And then I remembered
Scarum. The kid had seemed to
docks. His nose had thawed, his eyes
had frightened, and he held his head
up as he'd never done since he ca:lied
her majesty's drum. The captain took
kindly to him and the men began to
treat him as one of themselves. 1t
seemed as if he'd turn out a credit to
the regiment after all
He stood in the rear of his company
as firm as rock and waited for his
orders. A bullet had burst mis- little
drum and he could scarcely get a sound
out of it. But his eyes were on the cap
tain, and whenever a man dropped in
his neighborhood the kid WINGED and
looked thankful that it wasn't his
friends husband.
Still the uneven fight continued, and
the Beers crouched nearer and nearer,
narrowing the invisible circle that
would soon crush US out of existence.
Suddenly there was L cry from the
drummer boy in the rear. The captain
had fallen and had pitched head fore
most down the hill to a bunch of email
stones some 80 yards in advance of our
line and death, and the brutal Beers
guns were turned upon him and spat-
tered their bullets upon the stones
around without touching him
And then a strange thing happened.
A tiny, misshappen drummer lad dart
ed forward and down the hill to his
captains side. He raised his head. and
moved him further TO the Inadequate
shelter of stone, and then, with j sob,
threw himself before his body.
There was a rush and rally of COM
pany of British soldiers, and two bodies
were dragged back to the summit of
the hill. A ringing cheer from the sur
vivors brought a smile - the dying
lads face.
THE captains SAFE said the doctor
soothingly, as he took the kids hand. |
1.-The wound was only triffing, AMI he
owes his life to you"
Tell her"
But it was too late. The kid had gone |
with a smile like that 1 had seen upon |
his face when he found his only friend. |
But 1 guessed what he had meant to !
say, and when at last we were invalid |
ed home, and the captain was once !
more with his brigade, I told her that |
the kid had sent him but that he
couldn't come himself-London An |
swers.