Evening journal., 1900-02-10

work that thus describe their meth
DDS. II is what our prisoners have
told me.
IF / could write steadily for a week
(and if there were no such strict CEN
sorship as letters mel / could not ex-
haust the list of peculiarities, eccen-
tricities. anomalies and novelties Of
this war waged against us by an undis-
ciplined force OF rebels who are sol
diers by instinct. slayers by training,
and farmers or cattle-raisers for 1--we
lihood. But I could not in all that
week state a more astonishing fact
than that at some of these battles the
better-class Beers have come TO battle
in their carriages like gentlemen driv-
ing to the Derby at home, and, having
done their best, have retired in tie
same way, leaving their vassals to
cover their retreat.
More numerous than those who
come in carriages to battle are those
who send their best horses ahead and
ride to battle on inferior animals. They
"knee-halter" their best horses, turn
cut upon the veidt the poorer ones
they have ridden, and-when retreat is
ordered-run down the kopjes ana
mount their best steeds in order to be
able to elude a cavalry chase, which
has thus far been impossible because
the horses of our few mounted men
have either had too much work earlier
in the day or have been overwhelmed
by fire from unexpected quarters.
l have heard that the only uniforms
| in the BOer ranks are those of the
1 Transvaal Artillery, but If this is true
and any are costumed militarily, l have
not yet seen them. All whom / have
seen have been clad like the farmers and
villagers we have met with all along
our line of march They wear sho. [
coats, trousers Of patterns that are
often so loud that they almost scream,
and narrow-brimmed soft hats OF
light-brown felt.
The prisoners whom we capture
seem to me a sullsn. unprepossessing
I lot, who ask no favors and take kind
nesses very callously. Most Of them
pretend to understand no English,
though | am assured that there are no
Free State Beers who do not habit
ually speak English with the English
and Dutch among themselves.
With the far greater number OF men
who deliver themselves to us or de-
4 liberately put themselves in the way
of capture the case is different
They are Of English or partly British
blood. hold their heads up, display
bright eyes and frank faces and say
bluntly that they have not believed in
the war or taken part in it except
under cOmpulsion. They tell us thai
no notice is given them; that the CON-
manders or field comets ride up tC
their horses and order them to fall in
and follow at once. The legalized pen
atty Cor refusal is death. To compare
these men with the one whom we cap
ltured after he had ensnared some Of oui
men with a false flag Of truce would be
like comparing cultivation with bar
barism-a Londoner with a cave dwell
er. This scoundrel wore stiff, brist
ling hair all around his face, who's
features were those of a primitive man
In their kopjes atBelmont the grount
was Uttered with cartridges, every on,
of which bore the mark of the leadin,
London makers. This was true o
everything else that was captured OF
left behind by these Orange Free
Staters;" everything of theirs bor
, English marks. 1t was not until W
met with a Transvaal commando a
the battle of Graspan otherwise Gale,
Enslin and Royslaagte) that we saw
breach of this rule.