Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-15
lie WAS CURIOUS,

The correspondent OF the Morninl
Post gives the following account Of hi'
| feelings when under fire for the iirs
| time at Elandslaagte. He was undel
cover with some troops, waiting fol
the advance, and says: This was my
first experience Of rifle fire, as II wal
the whole forces first experience o.
modern shell fire. / found that my
strongest instinct was curiosity, II
shell fell near me ] always went TO the
spot TO sec what Il had done. Wher
the rifle fire was heavy | found IL al
most impossible 10 keep cover. / fpl'
that / must. simply must, lift up ny
head and see what was going on. All tbs
same / had rather been under such
shell fire as the Beers put into US than
under their rifle fire. The swift
whistle OF the passing bullets Is not a
pleasant sound. Its furious 'phphtt
as II falls Into the ground is rather
quaint. What | dislike most Of all Is
the rlcochet. The bullet that rlcOchets
comes for you all ends up with a grim,
unclvil 'bzaz' that is distinctly annoy
ing. Perhaps my sentiment in this
matter has been strengthened by obser-
walton of the clean wounds made by
the Mauser bullet in full fight and the
nasty holes that result from the con-
tact Of the ricochetting bullet with the
human body
KILLED THE WRONG MAN.
The following incidents Of the storm
ing OF Talana Hin are told by the same
correspondent: IN was a sight never 10
be forgotten to see what the British
soldier could stand. One Of the 'Dubs'
shot through the left leg and both arms,
shiyerirg with cold and soaked by rain,
being helped slowly down the hill, Jpcy-
larly asked his two comrades not TO
let hini go, as having no arms to pro-
tect himself he was sure TO fall on his
face and spoil his beauty, Immediate
IS after the hill was taken many Boer
ponies were captured, many OF them
with all equipment and even Mausers
strapped on to the saddles, and II was
a conlical sight to see Tommy career
ing round on Boer mounts over ground
which even the Boer would have picked
his way carefully. There Is no doubt
our shell fire must have disconnected
the Beers. An officer OF the Dubs
placed his helmet on his sword and
placed Il above the stone wall; II was
Immediately pierced by six bullets. Con-
trast this shooting with the double
across the open to the homestead below
Talana Kin, when only four men
dropped. one Of the Kings rifles was
In the act Of picking Off a Boer he had
lust pressed the trigger, when a Boer
popped his head up directly In front,
with the result he got the bullet through
his head: 1t was quite an accident, sir;
YOU see was aiming at the other. man
said the Kings rileman as he showed
me the CORPSE.
The hospital attendants who came
with the British troops from India, are
native Indians. and are probably un'
surpassed by any men In their parties
ular branch Of work. The Posts cor
respondent says Of them, In this same
engagement:
In Fridays engagement the Beers
fired on the Doodle bearers Of the field
hospital every time they crossed she
open ground from ,he nullah to The
homestead and Major KERN lost fobr
OF his men. The way the doolis bear
ers worked was beyond praise They
started OF at $3.50 a. m, and worked
hard all day until " Friday night. and
when they got back to camp not bite
would they have. Major KERN forced
them 10 take some brandy and eat H.
tie sugar. They win eat nothing un-
less cooked by themselves, and this
cooking operation lasts about three
hours.'