The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-08

222 and 22i South Meridian 81.
array. bright with flashing spears and
waving flags were excluded. Rows of
tiny dots hurried forward a few yards
and vanished into the brown of the earth.
Bunches and clusters and clusters of
brown things huGdled among the rocks
or in shelved spots. The six batteries of
artillery numbered and the horses. hid
den in some safe place. were scarcely Wis
ible.
"Once I saw miniature. through glass
es. OF a great wave OF infantry surging
forward along a spur and disappearing be-
hind crest line The patter of the Mauser
rifles swelled into a continuous rumbling
like train of wagons passing over pom
toon bridge and presently the wave re-
Coiled, the minute figures that composed
IL squeezed themselves into cover among
some rocks, great many groups of men
began carrying away black objects. A
trickle OF independent drops dispersed it
self. Then we groaned. There had been
check. The distant drama continued. The
budding figures began to move again
1.-THE, active forms moved about rearrang-
ing things, officers, we knew. even at the
distance. Then the whole wave started
again full OF impetus-started-went for
ward, and never came back. And at this
we were all delighted and praised the valor
of our unequaled infantry and wished we
were near enough to give them cheer"
Bennett Burleigh relates this gruesome
incident, which includes serious insinua-
perial Light Infantry went into action
upon Spion kop at m. and remained
upon the mountain until p. m. Out of
$50 men they had thirty-nine killed and
ninety wounded. Most of these volunteers
were outlanders and at least six of them
whose bodies were afterward discovered,
had been dubbed to death by Beers"
All the correspondents with Butler, writ
ing in the beginning OF February. after
the defeat of Spion kop had become a
matter OF history, aver that to man the
British troops were confident, and only
wanted the opportunity TO push on TO
Ladysmith.
From General Whites camp there come
several mail dispatches, sneaked out by
p. while Butler was trying TO fight his way
through the Beers the Times correspond
ent says: THE weary state OF siege still
drags on. One day is so similar to an
count of time. A week ago a futter of
excitement reused the garrison. The dis
tant rumbling OF artillery. heavy and con-
that the southern column was in the vicin-
ity OF Potgieter's drift the heliograph
had told us this But the booming of the
heavy guns was the first substantial evil
dence OF relief. Would IL be day, two
days. before Butler here? Excite
ment spread through the town. Some hur-
ried TO the postoffice with three
ers. seizing binoculars. climbed to
the highest points and swept the
horizon. Women, who for weeks had for
gotten how to smile, stood laughing on
the river banks. holding their babes that
they. too. might hear the muffled sounds
which meant so much. Butler is coming.
These magic words were In every mouth.
but as hours grew into days and days into
weeks. they lost their charm. and the
garrison sank back into its previous state
OF apathy. The sounds OF distant artillery
were accepted as a sidelight in the three
months drama. On occasions a disturb
ance among the pickets will precipitate
an artillery duel. The apathy for a mo-
ment breaks, and the garrison strains for
some more definite "sound of the pipes
than the monotonous rolling of the siege
train twenty miles away. Hitherto such
hopes have been dispelled as soon as they
have arisen and the garrison subsidies TO
snatch frugal meal during the intervals
in the practice of the enemy's six-inch
guns"
BoERS FELT SURE OF LADYSMITH.
Then came the sad realization that Bull
er had once more failed. as the Standards
Ladysmith correspondent. under date of
Jan. 26. describes it: what was to be-
come OF us If another month must pass
before relief came? We could hold out
three months. If necessary. but we had no
keen desire to put our endurance to the
test. No one talked of surrender, for IL
the worst came TO the wrost. we could
even vet the full stomach that makes the
strong arm. Meanwhile the enemy con-
tinued TO treat us with indifference. So
convinced were they that Ladysmith was
like an apple ripening TO fall. that they
suspended the daily bombardnent and
gave US comparative peace. But not a
day or a night passed without musketry
fire at the outpoStS, with an occasional
Ehrapnel on Observation hill to check the
curiosity of visitors on the outlook for
Butler"
The same correspondent voices a little of
the criticism OF Butler that apparently
circulates in Ladysmith, as follows:
Critics at home will no doubt have won
dered why General Butler, In his attack
OF Dec Is. received no help from Lady
smith Ii was not known that General
Butler contemplated any attack until the
18th of December. The fact that we were
in Photographic communication with the
south must not be taken as proof that
sound enough. no doubt. We were deliber-
ately kept I'm the dark. not only as TO
General Buffers movements and inten-
tons. but as TO what was happening In
the outside world. Not until the 18th OF
this month did we learn. by heliograph.
that an attack was 10 be made on Taba
Imyana on the previous day.
Had General Butler sought the advice
of General White he could have moved
with greater caution at first. and before
Offering battle on Dec. 10 he. would have
made an effort 10 cross the Tugela at some
point west OF Colenso-say at Springfield or
Potgieter's drift.
lone day here is so much like another
that ten weeks are like ten years. Shells
at dawn. shells at noon. shells 81 dusk
that is the daily record. except on Sunday
when the enemy gives us rest unless his
suspicion Is awakened by some movement
In town. Polo and cricket he does not
mind. even on the Sabbath, for the Boer Is
a sportsman--the only characteristic hs
ccndescends TO share with the 'verdomds
Booinek- IL is even said that he watches
these games from the top OF Bulwana and
bets on the winning side But bathing ne
will net endure. He resents this indul.
gence, against which he is believed 20 have
scruples OF habit and conscience. The sight
az Tommy Atkins coming from the river
with shining face and a clean towel under
his arm. every Sunday morning, rouses
him 10 fury. and the hills echo his wrath