The suburban citizen., 1900-02-10
PLUCKY LADY WILSON.
ADVENTURES THAT eeFeLL HER
AMONG THE RoERS.

| lore Extraordinary Than Any EncOun-
tered by Woman OF Rank In This
Century-Alons Among the SavaEes--
A Young Boer Her Knightly squire.
T ADY SARAH WILSON, the
r. handsome and adventurous
daughter of the house OF
Marlborough, is regarded as
a modern Joan OF Arc by English So
3iety.
The adventures through which she
is passing in the Boer war are more
extraordinary than have fallen to the
lot of any woman OF rank in this
century, and place her alongside OF
those women Of the Middle Ages who
defended cities and endured the hor-
rors of war.
Ample details have now been re-
ceiyed in letters from Lady Sarah OF
her experiences up to the time she re-
turned to Mafeking.
She was first besieged, then es.
Aped; was caught after many thrilling
adventures; acted as spy; was
ordered to be confined in a certain
town and escaped from it, and finally
was exchanged for Boer officer and
returned to the besieged place from
which she had started.
BEs1EaED IN MAFEEINo.
At the beginning of the war Lady
Sarah was with her husband, Captain
Gordon Wilson, in Mafeking, the
chief town Of British Bechuanaland,
which lies northwest of the Trans
vaal. 1t was held by Colonel Baden
Powell, with the Fifth Dragons,
about 900 strong. Captain Wilson is
an officer Of the Horse Guards, but
was oat in South Africa on special
service, aud had really attached him
self to Colonel Baden-Powell for the
sake of adventure. He has found it.
The redoubtable General Cronie,
who captured Jameson and his
raiders, besieged Mafeking with 5000
Beers. Colonel Baden Powell rein
forced his little body of regulars by
enrolling and drilling all the able
bodied men of Maieking. Thus he
gathered a force of nearly 1000 men.
Lady Sarah took an active part in
the work of the olliers, aud even ac-
companied the armorel trains that
went out of Mafeking to fight the
Beers.
At the end Of month, however, il
became clear to Lady Sarah that she
was o useless mouth to feed and an
embarrassment to the brave garrison.
On the other hand, if she could es-
cape from Mafeking, she would be
able to render real service by carry,
I ing exact news Of the condition of the
beleaguered town to the outside world
ALONE AMONG TIE sAyAGEs.
She started out to ride over hun.
dreds of miles of desert and noun
tain, infested not only by armed
Beers, but by wandering bands oI
bloodthirsty sayages. The chance OF
falling into the hands Of the latter
was the most appalling danger she
ran. She may almost consider her.
self fortunate that she was captured
by the rough but humane Beers.
It was early on Thursday morning
when Lady Sarah left Maieking, She
carried her rifle and plenty Of ammu
milton and three days supply of pro-
visions. She rode all day During
tho afternoon she was sighted by Q
! band of savages, but having a much
better horse she was able to get away
from them.
At nightfall she reached Setlagoli, {
small station in British territory, but
in q region now occupied by the
Beers. Here there was a hotel, where
the proprietor aud a few servants still
remained. Lady Sarah put up here
for the night.
Just at dawn she was awakened by
q terrific rafting of musketry and
rapid firing guns. She dressed her
self, mounted her horse and rode il
the direction of the firing, taking hel
camera with her in the hope Of OBJ
tanning some photographs.
When she got to the scene OF the
trouble she found that q British
armored train had been wrecked by
the Beers. The train was command.
ed by Captain kesbltt, OF the Mash
onaland Mounted Police, who wai
trying to run through to Mafekine
with ammunition. He and all hi
men were killed or captured.
Lady Sarah was seen by the Boer
and taken prisoner. She was helC
fol two days at Setlagoli, but among
tho soldiers here were a number 0
blackguards, chiefly Uitlanders, VIII,
insulted her The officer in command
who did his best to protect her, there
fore sent her back to Mochudi, al
important Boer centre in the vicinit,
of Mafeking. Here she was givel
over to the custody OF a colonia
farmer, British subject, but of Boe
descent.
A CHIyALRoUs YOUNG BoER.
This farmer was a strikingly hand
some young fellow, about thirty year