The San Francisco call., 1899-10-24
KRUGER IN
PERSON LEADS
THE BOERS
Continued from First Page

swept yelling forward, and the position
was won.
Meanwhile squadrons' of Lancers and
Dragons Tapped around the Boer left
flank. catching the enemy as they re-
tired in order. goring and stamping them
to pieces. And the commando was not"
The Daily Telegraph says: General
French commenced the action at $50 a.
m. The enemy had only just finished
coffee when they were surprised and
nearly all our prisoners were caught in
the vicinity Of the captured train. The
mining and railway officials escaped from
the enemy and came in TO US, to the num-
Der Of thirty-seven whites, besides many
natives and coolies. Both of the latter
classes had been robbed and compelled to
work by the Beers, the whites were
treated fairly well, though they were
made TO take an oath TO remain neutral,
etc. A Boer sergeant, a native Of Cape
Colony, hid his rife and came in with
twenty OF his late captives.
The Manchester Regiment, with the
characteristic hardihood Of British in
fantry, all marched straight back at the
enemy, too often careless Of taking cover,
despite the rafting Kissing and splitting
Of the Mauser bullets. Tommy Atkins
says in effect, What? Hide from Yokels? :?
Let EN- shootr
Discipline has its drawbacks as well
as its advantages. and our soldiers who
have learned the Boer tactics are now
capable Of readjusting the mistakes of the
past.
The panorama was heightened and COL
ored by the red hue of gun flashes and
shots tore along, roaring through the air
like express trains in a tunnel, bursting
noisily and spouung flame, lead and steel,
which hissed like hot iron dropped into
water. The places Of explosion were
marked by clouds OF earth and a nimbuS
Of white smoke.
The enemy bobbed about over the rocks
like jacks-in-the-box, firing heavily at US
and with fair accuracy, for the magazine
II inflicted clean wounds. Many of them
used explosive bullets.
The Boer shells were mostly percus-
sion and threw up volcanoes Of mud and
stone about our guns 1t should be noted
that. especially on rocky ground, percus-
sion shells give better results than high
bursting shrapnel.
Colonel Scott -Chrisholm, OF the I'm
perial Light Horse, cOurted disaster by
waving his scarf TO give encoura cement
TO his men, who really needed none. Sud
denly somebody showed a white flag and
Colonel Hamilton tried TO stop the fight
ing. but the party Of Beers ensconsed on
a COniCal hill and rallYinG about their
comrades, took advantage of the lull to
deliver a heavy fire. The Gordon High
landers and the Manchesters were rend-
cred more savage than ever by this and
redoubled their energy. for the Beers in
the hollows were delivering thanking fire.
Our Tommies got wonderful quantities
Of loot-from silk hats and frock coats to
beaded Kaff1r loin cloths. 1t was sight
to-day 10 see them loaded with their
booty.
Although we gave the prisoners the
best seats around the campfires, many Of
the poor wounded had to lie out on the
bare hillsides, where they spent a terrible
night and cried For Gods sake give US
water Get a doctor for US. Out here are
British and Beers. One man fired round
after round from his revolver to attract
attention TO his whereaouts, for the field
~ battle covered miles. The Beers say
that the kits of the Gordon HighlandeTs
made them conspicuous targets"
The Daily News says: The approach
Ing fall Of darkness was a great factor in
the last phases Of the fight. making the
capture Of the position at once abso-
lutely Imperative BY this time the
crack Of rifles and the rattle Of Maxims
had become absolutely furious. Our men
understood the necessity well enough
NotaiHg 10th, they exposed themselves
gaI-dA.lF IN their resolution to drive the
Boers from their last stand. officers, ser