Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-10-10
CHAPTER XIu.=iContinned. !

CdAt l. En- AlIl.-(COntlnue0.D
Four days later the Portugal had cast
anchor just outside the bar Of Durham.
and the marchers were at the end of their
voysge-all but the two miles which inter
vened between them and the shore. II
was too late to disembark or do anything g
that evening, although boats with dis
patches were soon alongside. After dinner
Miles came up on deck for a smoke. rest
ed his arm on the bulwarks and gazed
on the scene before him. Although it
was night, it was not dark; the sky was
lii up with millions and millions Of stars.
that seemed closer and brighter than in
our own Northern region. The troop
ship lay just outside the bar. and q fine
bay, evidently fringed with trees; at one
extremity blinked a lighthouse, and far
away toward the middle Of the curve
were the lamps Of the town Of Durham.
And so this is Africa" thought Miles.
a new country to me, and a hard nut
for the Government to crack. | wonder
what j shall find thereY' he asked him
self, as he looked at its distant, silent
shores. clothed with the dignity Of night.
Shall l come home as I landed? shall
i find medal or a gravey And that
other fellow, what would he tindI In q
few months time-perhaps even now, he
was spruce young lancer officer; he
looked just the sort to shove along and
distinguish himself; have his name In all
the papers, and 60 home to receive his
reward ut Esme's hands. III he does.
muttered Miles. half aloud. may never
live to know it."
Next morning the regiment embarked
for the shore in tugs and boats. Durham
town. with its green turf. wild flowers
and trees and hedges. reminded one OF
home, although its long, sandy streets
and curiously built houses were more
colonial than English. 1t boasted several
places Of worship. two clubs and some
good shops. and the marchers, as they
passed through en- route to the station.
were not likely to see anything SO civil
lied again for some time.
The marchers travelled by rail as fa'
as the trail went, and then the real cam
paigning business commenced. then they
began to understand what was meant by
the tented field" trek oxen, dongas.
dust, mosquitoes, laageriug; it was march,
march. march. steadily march, day after
day. The new arrivals speedily learned
how to make the most of commissariat
-four and beef, to pitch and strike tents,
to out-span and in-span; but We need not
pause to describe their route, as this story
deals more with the fortunes Of Miles and
Teddy Brabazon than with the Boer cam,
paign: which has been aptly and abun,
dainty related elsewhere. Long, monot,
onous. stretching plains, covered with
high grass, powders and ant-hills, and
vexed with aggravating dongas. Here
and there along the track dead bullock
dead a week, another. dead a fortnight
another, oh blessed change, q skeleton
We see no sign Of life-no cattle, nc
smoke. no trees. no villages. nothing but
the broiling sun overhead, the bakina
veldt underfoot. One, just one or two
ominous objects we do pass. near the end
of the march-one or two skeletons, and
one or two knapsacks lying at the side OF
the track. In the long. coarse yellow
grass.