Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-06-04
BOLD B0ER STRATEGY.
How Young Cronje Captured a
Dozen English Scouts.
DID 1T SINGLE HANDED AND ALONE

Novel Manner In which the Famous
| Captured BOer Commanders Neph-
ew Dragged the Unsuspecting Brit
ons and Made Them Prisoners
How He Disguised Himself.
General Cronje, the captured Boer
| commander, had young nephew,
Philip Cronje, In the Boer army, who
| inherited his uncle's marked capacity
for military strategy. John Cadudal,
| an officer on General de Vets staff,
| in a letter TO a relative in Milwaukee,
| tells a good story in which young
| Cronje, single handed and alone, eff
fected the capture of dozen English
scouts, says the Chicago Inter Ocean.
| The scouts We're attached TO General
| Hunters force, which was attempting
the relief of Mafeking and was OPP
posed by Beers under Commander Oil
| vier. The English We're acting on the
| offensive, and their scouts were caus-
| ing no little annoyance to Olivier and
| his men. 1t was near evening when
! an orderly rode up and, addressing
squad OF sharpshootcrs, said:
General Olivier Will promote every
English scouts into camp
give me my own way about 1t and
1 will succeed" said young Philip
Cronje, private. ITS the kind of an
adventure l am here for. | Will try it
single handed and alone"
Cronje was a daredevil sort of
fellow, reserved. but brave. The next
afternoon brought young Cronje made
la iN
have recognized him. He came into
camp, solitary figure, beside a we'll
laden but infirm horse. He looked the
Dutch settler, but was dressed in more
of the English style than is usual
among Transvaalers. A Scotch cap
bordered a freckled brow.
In half an hours time CrOnje was on
his way to a small kopje to the right
and slightly in advance Of the Boer
camp. Shortly he was hidden from
view. \ keen watch was kept on the
enemy's scouts, which. with glasses,
were seen some 81. miles to the front.
They We're circling round. and evident
~ bent Oh knowing every movement
of their opponents forces. 1t was al
most dusk When young Cronje was
seen with his tired steed to be APP
made a wide detOur and was coming
from the northwest, while his friends
were almost directly south.
1t was midnight, the watch had been
changed, when the sound of horses |
hoofs were heard rapidly approaching.
Philip Cronje. mounted on strange
but foam covered horse, dashed down |
to General Oliyiers tent.
t.,I-
and come with ne. quick he breath |
Iessly exclaimed. I've got the whole |
mess where we can get 'em in 80 min
utes' ride"
The order was given. No questions
We're asked. Phil Cronje's word was
enough. In less time than it takes to |
write 1t a squad of Is men were mount /
ed and following the leadership of the |
boy. Eight miles they rode, and then /
found the English scouts. They were |
not under cover; not in camp, but |
stretched out upon the grass in a little /
circle scarcely two rods in diameter.
Every one was sound asleep and dead i
TO the world. They were bound, and in
perhaps an hour or such n matter they
began regaining consciousness. They |
could not understand the predicament |
III hulCu lueN IOuuu lDeulSelNes, out
no explanations were vouchsafed. To
the camp of the Beers the captured
were taken as prisoners of war. and
Cronje told his story
He had gone to n farmhouse some
distance from camp when starting on
his journey. In the meantime the
housewife had skiIlfully baked for him
several large English plum puddings.
These We're covered with a brandy
sauce which was well drugged. These
constituted the pack carried by the
jaded horse. Then he went on toward
the English lines. When the English
saw the lone horseman approaching.
they were in no sense alarmed. Cronje
went up to them and asked where Gen
eral Hunter could be found He told
them he had been commissioned by his
father, Il loyal subject OF her majesty,
to take To him several plum buildings
Now, General Hunter was some 30
miles away, and this fact was made
known to the young stranger. who on
learning this information proposed TO
return home. The minute the scouts
heard him say he was going home they
bartered for his load Of buildings, and
before the last % the dainties We're
eaten the drugged brandy had taken
effect and the men were falling asleep.
Young Cronje was soon afterward
captured by the English and killed
while attempting TO escape
Convention of Old Maids.