The Saint Paul globe., 1900-04-12
MAD DASH FOR LIBERTY
THRILLING EXPERIENCES OF WAR
CORRESPONDENT HALE IN
SOUTH AFRICA
SHOT DOWN BY THE BoERs
His Companion Killed While At
tempting to Escape Capture
Beers Treat Englishmen
GraciOusly.

Correspondence of the Associated Press
LONDON, April 3.-H. Hale, a CORE
spondent of the Daily News, who was
wounded and taken prisoner to Bloem-
fontein before that place fell into the
hands of the British, has written a vivid
description of his experiences. His
companion was Mr.. Lambie, of the Mel
bourne Age. Mr.. Hales story follows:
I'VE had drifted a few hundred yards
behind the advance party, but were a
good distance in front of the rear guard,
when some horsemen made a dash from
the kopjes which we were sklrting, and
the rifles began to speak. There was no
time for poetry, 1t was a case Of sit
tight and ride hard or surrender and be
made prisoners. Lambie shouted to me,
Let's make dash, Hale and we made
it. The Beers were very close to US be-
fore we knew anything concerning their
presence. Some of them were behind US,
and some extended along the edge Of the
kopJes, by which we had to pass to get
to the British line in fropt. All Of them
were galloplng In on US, shooting as they
rode, and shouting to US to surrender,
and had we been wise men we would
have thrown up our hands, for 1t was al
most hopeless to try and ride through
the rain Of lead that whistled around US.
1t was no wonder we were hit, the won
der to me is that we were not filed with
lead, for some Of the bullets came so
close to me that 1 think I should know
them If l met them in a shop win
dow.
I'VE were racing by this time Lam
bie's big chestnut mare had gained a.
length on my little veldt pony, and
when not more than 100 yards away
from the Mauser rifles that had closed in
on us from the kopjes A voice called
out in good English: Throw up your
hands, you id FOOLS, but the galIoping
fever was on us both, and we only
crouched lower on our horses backs and
rode all the harder, for even a barnyard
fowl loves liberty.
LAMBIE KILLED.
"All at once I saw my comrade throw
up his hands with a spasmodic gesture.
lie rose in his stirrups and fasNy bound
ed high out Of his saddle, and N he spun
round In the air I saw the lNd blood
on the white face, and 1 knew that
death had come to him sudden and
sharp. Again the rifles speak, and the
lead was closer to me than ever a friend
sticks in time of trouble, and I knew
In my heart that the next few strides
would settle things. The black pony
was galloping gamely under my weight.
Would he carry me safely out Of that
line of fire, or would he fail me? Sud-
denly something seemed to touch me on
the right temple. 1t was not like
blow, it was not a shock, For half a
second l was conscious. I knew was
hit, knew that the reins had fallen from
my nerveless hands, knew that I was
lying down upon the horses back and
my head hanging below his throat
Then all the world went out in. one mad
Whirl. Earth and heaven seemed to me
taken away as if by magic My horse
seemed to rise with me, not to fall
then all was chaos.
When next 1 knew was in this
planet l was in the saddle again riding
between two Beers who were supporting
me in the saddle as I swayed from side
to side. There was a halt, man with
kindly face took my head in his hands
Whlle another poured water down my
throat Then they carried me to
spot beneath some shrubbery and laid
me gently down. A man examined me
washed me and then bound up nv
wounded temple. began to see things
plainly, blue sky above me, a groun
or hardy men, all armed with rifles.
saw l was prisoner.
BOER CHARACTERISTICS.
The same good-looking young fellow
with the curly beard bent over me again
Feel any better now, old fellow?' 7
stared hard at the speaker for he smoke
IKE an Engiishman, and a well-educated
fellow. Yes, I'm better; I am a prisoner
amt L? Yes Are you an English
man" l asked. He laughed. Not /" he
said I'm Boer, born and bred. and
am the man who bowled you over.
What on earth made you do such fool
ish trick as to try to ride from our
rifles at that distance? L did not think
1 was welcome in these parts Don't
make a jest Of it, man. the Boer said.
gravely, rather thank GOD that you are
a living man at present. 1t was His hand
that saved you. Nothing else could have
done It.. He spoke reverently. There
was no cant in the sentiment he ut
tered; his face was too open, too manly,