Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-04-07


time they are costing our government
much valuable forage and in the course
Of things as we hope and believe they
will now turn out-are never likely to
be of any further use in the present
war.
at Slingersfontein on Feb. is thus
told in the London Daily News:
The Australians rode out steadily
and took up their positions with an
amount of GOODNESS that startled older
soldiers. This was absolutely their
first trial ON real fighting service, and
everybody connected with them was
anxious to see how they would COM
port themselves in the face of the enc
my. Not only was ii their first fighting
effort, but Ii was their debut ia the
saddle, as until a week previous they
had simply been infantrymen, and not
a dozen OF them had ever been Ia the
hands of mounted drill instructor
A body of scouts ran upon a large
K
farm in deep and shady ravine. The
enemy was trying TO evade notice.
but that was no impossible. la
moment rifles were ringing on the
air, and after that first volley the lit
tie band of Australians wheeled and
gailoped for the open country. To
have remained there would have
NJ faf in ~
the half dozen who comprised the
picket, so they did their duty-they
fired and rode for the veldt In a few
seconds Beers were dashing out of the
kopjes on all sides, trying to cut the
small band of Australians off or shoot
them down. But the Australians knew
their game. They opened out, so that
each man was practically riding alone.
The Beers could do little with them.
Those who stood by the guns noticed
that very large numbers of men in tine
Boer ranks We're either niggers or half
castles, and 1t was also very noticeable
that they knew but little about the use
of the rifle. They fired high and wide
and, Notwithstanding the fact that they
wholesale fashion, they did little harm
worth mentioning, although many of
them fired at little more than pistol
range. They were simply crazed with
excitement and did not succeed in cut
ting off q single member of that adj
venturous band. Whenever an Aus
tralian found himself in a tight place
he simply dug his spurs into his horses
TANKS, lifted his rifle and blazed into
the ranks of the foe. If his horse was
shot dead under him. he coo-eed to his
mates and kept his rifle busy, and ev-
cry time the coo-ee rang out over the
whispering veldt the Australians turn
ed in their saddles, and, riding as the
men from the southland can ride, they
dashed to the rescue and did not leave
a single man in the hands of the en-
envy.
Many a gallant deed was done that
day by officers and men. Captain Moor
gave one fellow his horse and made a
dash for liberty on foot, but he would
have failed in his effort had not Lieu
tenant Darling, a West Australian boy,
ridden to his aid, and together the two
officers ON the one horse got back to
the shelter of the guns. The enemy
still blazed away in the widest and
most farcical fashion. Had they been
Boer hunters or marksmen very few
of the West Australians would ever
have got across that strip Of veldt alive.
AS it was only two of them got wound
ed, none was killed, one or two horses
were shot dead, and then the big guns
got to work In grim earnest.