Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1899-07-08


remnant just when, according to al
the rules of war, it should have waited
for the foe to show more signs of wav
ering.
But it was dainty charge, deftly
delivered, and it ended by the cavalry
finding itself at the head of the pass by
which the Afghans intended to retreat
and down the track that the lance'
had made streamed two companies o.
highlanders, which was never intended
by the brigadier. The new development
was successful. 1t detached the enemy
from his base as a sponge is torn from
a rock and left him ringed about will
fire In that piti1ess plain. And as {
sponge is chased round the bathtub by
the hand of the bather, so were the AT
ghans chased till they broke into little
detachments much more difficult to dis
pose of than large masses.
''See!" quoth the brigadier. every
thing has come as | arranged We've
cut their base, and now we'll bucket
'em to pieces.
A direct hammering was all that the
brigadier had dared to hope for, consid
ering the size of the force at his dis
pOsal, but men who stand or fall by the
errors Of their opponents may be for.
given for turning chance into design.
The bucketing went forward merrily.
The Afghan forces were upon the run
the run of wearied wolves who snarl
and bite over their shoulders. The ed
lances dipped by twos and threes, and,
with shrek, up rose the lance butt,
like spar on stormy sea, as the troop,
er, cantering forward, cleared his point.
The lancers kept between their prey and
the steep hills, for all who could were
trying to escape from the valley OF
death. The highlanders gave the fugi-
tives 200 yards law, and then brought
them down, gasping and choking, ere
they could reach the protection Of the
powders above The Gurkhas followed
suit, but the Fore and Aft were killing
on their own account, for they had pen
ned a mass of men between their bay
onets and wall Of rock, and the flash
of the rifles was lighting the wadded
coats
owe cannot hold them, Captain
Sahibl'' painted a ressaidar of lancers.
'Let us try the caroline. The lance is
good, but it wastes time.
They tried the carbine, and still the
enemy melted away-fed up the hills
by hundreds when there were only 30
bullets to stop them. On the heights the
screw guns ceased firing-they had run
out of ammUnition-and the brigadier
groaned, for the musketry fire could not
sufficiently smash the retreat. Long be-
fore the last volleys were fired II" It
tiers were out in force looking IL he
wounded The battle was over, and but
for want of fresh troops the Afghans
would have been wiped off the earth
AS it was they counted their dead by
hundreds, and nowhere were the dead
thicker than in the track Of the Fore
and Aft.
But the regiment did not cheer with
the highlanders, nor did they dance I'M
couth dances with the JGurkhas among
the dead They looked under their
brows at the colonel as they leaned upon
their rifles and painted.
Get back to camp, you! Haven t
you disgraced yourself enough for one
day? Go and look to the wounded. It's
all your fit for, said the colonel. Yet
for the past hour the Fore and Aft had
been doing all that mortal commander
could expect. They had lost heavily be-
canse they did not know how to set
about their business with proper skill,
but they had borne themselves gallant
ly and this was their reward.
A young and sprightly color sergeant,
who had begun to imagine himself a
hero, offered his water bottle to high
lander whose tongue was black with
thirst. 81 drink with no towards, an
wered the youngster huskily, and,
urning to a Gurkha. he said: FHya,
Tohnnyl Drink water got it?' The
4urkha grinned and passed his bottle.
The Fore and Aft said no word.
They went back to camp when the
ield of strife had been little mopped
lp and made presentable, and the briga-
lier, who saw himself a knight in three
months, was the only soul who was
complimentary to them. The colonel
vas heartbroken and the officers were
savage and sullen.
"Well, said the brigadier, they
ire young troops, of course, and it was
lot unnatural that they should retire
n disorder for a bit. .
"Oh, my only Aunt Maria !" MUIR
nured junior staff officer. "Retire in
disorder! 1t was bally rum
"But they came again, as we all
now, cooed the brigadier, the colo
lels ashy white face before him, land
hey behaved as we'll as could possibly
,e xpected-behaved beautifully in
Iced. was watching them. It's not a
natter to take to heart, colonel AS
ONE German general said of his men,
hey wanted to be shooted over little,
hat was all. To himself he said
Now they're blooded, l can give 'em
work. It's as well that they
lot what they did. Teach 'em more
han half a dozen rife firtations that
alone and bite. Poor
Id colonel, thought -