The Irish standard., 1900-01-27
one Beers and English colonists in the


party, including Potgeiter himself, so
they turned to retreat. But as they
turned to go back they saw that a great
army of Kaffirs had sprung up in their
rear, barring their path back Pot
geiter took in the situation. We have
fallen into trap, men, he said, but
keep calm and all will go well. There
is small ridge mile further up by
the banks OF the river. We must make
full speed for it. His little commando
rode off for the ridge at full speed, all
save four men mounted on well-bred
horses, who thought they could ride
back clear of the Kafhrs. OF the four
who rode back only one got through
and he had to go to the other side OF
the river, where he could not make his
way back to the lager to give warm
ing.
"Potgeiter and the twenty-six men
who were left reached the ridge and at
once started throwing up stones in a
semicircle to form a rampant Of de-
fence. They had only raised the ram
part two feet high when the Kafirs
were on them. Potgeiter quickly is
sued his orders. The men had dis
mounted and two held the horses be-
hind the ridge. No one is to fire I'M
til after me- the leader said. I will
bring down the chiefs, so many Of you
are to fire at the horses and the re-
mainder are to shoot down the dis
mounted men when they get on their
feet All the Kaffirs were mounted
and they rode UP to the little band in
apparently irresistible numbers, the
chiefs gay with their war plumes and
heavy with Kaffir beer, at their head.
Potgeiter let them approach to within
seventy-fve yards and then fired. Down
fell chief after chief The rifles of his
men rang out and all the horses OF the
leading men stumbled, shot through the
breasts. The fire was so resistless that
the charging party edged off to the
right and the left and made circle in
retreat.
Again the Kaffirs came on. They
were armed with rifles, and a number
Of them kept UP a rifle fire at the sides
while the mounted forces again charged
forward. But the result was only the
same as before. They would draw off,
their chiefs eNhorting them by the
valor OF all their forefathers, by the
great deeds OF Mosheshe not to allow
SO puny a band to defy them. AS the
hours passed there came to be a ram
part of dead Kaffirs and Kahir horses
all around the Beers. Once the
charging party got so close that when
the horses were shot two of them
plunged right over the krall into the
Boer horses behind before they fell
dead, nearly causing stampede among
the horses of the scouting party.
"The fight started at 8 o'clock in the
morning. By o'clock five or six
Beers were so exhausted that they de-
clared they could do no more. Their
mouths were parched, their tongues
were swollen with intolerable thirst
Their arms acl1ed SO that they could
hardly move them, and they were stiff
in every limb. They said, We cannot
fight any longer,' but lie laughed at
them Put two pebbles in your mouths
he said. That will lessen your thirst
II you cannot fire any more, let me
have your guns. You keep them loaded
and l will do the shooting And so
he heartened them. The fighting kept
on till in the evening" and then the
Kaf1irs drew off. The Beers quickly
took advantage of the opportunity.
They knew that their one hope was to
get clear away, for ammunition was
running short, and if the Kaffirs sur-
rounded them during the night they
would be done. Half their horses had
been shot by the Kaflirs, but the griny
hungry, aching and thirsty men got
two each on the remaining horses and
made detour home.
What damage can our soldiers do
charging up hill, against an invisible
enemy? Even our artillery fire inflict.
very little loss OF life, l believe. The
Boer trenches are made after a man.
ner learned from the Basutos, like a
great S. 1t is impossible to have a
raking fire down them and unless shell.
TALL directly in the trenches, which is
very seldom, they do comparatively
little damage. am also convinced
that all the estimates OF the Doe,
strength circulated in this country are
great exaggerations. At the outside
including the mercenaries and the re-
cruits, the Beers have not, l believe
more than 10000 men in the field at the
present moment. This is exclusive O.
recruits from northern Cape Colony O,
Natal. 1t is their mobility that gives
them the enormous advantage over us
Take one illustration. They hat
their forces on the Cape border, read,
to resist us, expecting, as all who know
the country made sure, that the tire,
British army corps under Methuen
Gatacre and French would move stimuli
taneously into the Free State. Hat
tf1ev, done ca f11e Roer armies 1yo,,1f