The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1900-05-31


pital in Bloemfontein, in
which Mr.. Hales, CORE
spondent of the London Daily News,
gives a vivid narrative of his expert
ences when he was captured with
Captain Cameron's Australian scouts.
He was riding with Mr.. Lambie, cor
respondent of the Melbourne Age:
We had drifted few hundred yards
behind the advance party, Mr.. Hales
writes, but were good distance in
front of the rear guard, when num-
Der of horsemeu made a dash from the
kopjes which we were skirting, and
the rifles began 10 speak. There was
no time for poetry, it was case of
est tight and ride hard" or surren-
der and be made prisoners. Lambie
shouted to me, "Let's make dash,
Hales," and we made it. The Beers
were very close to US before we knew
anything concerning their presence.
| Some Of them were behind us, and
some extended along the edge of the
kopjes by which we had to pass to get
to the British line in front; all of
them were galloping in on us, shoot
ing as they rode, and shouting to US
to surrender, and had we been wise
men we would have thrown up our
| hands, for it was almost hopeless to
try and ride through the rain Of lead
| that whistled around us. 1t was no
wonder we were hit; the wonder to
me is that we were not filled with
lead, for some of the bullets came so
close to me that think should know
them again if l met them in shop
window.
We were racing by this time. Lam
bie's big chestnut mare had gained
length on my little veldt pony, and
we were not more than a hundred
yards away from the Mauser rifles
that had closed on us from the kopjes.
A voice called in good English;
''Throw up your hands, you blame
FOOLS" But the galloping fever was
on US both, and we only crouched
lower on our horses backs and rode
all the harder, for even a barnyard
fowl loves liberty. All at once saw
my comrade throw up his hands with
spasmodic gesture. He rose in his
s'irrups and fairly bounded high out
of his saddle, and as he spun round
in the air I saw the red blood on the
white face, and I knew that death had
come to him sudden and sharp. Again
the rifles spoke, and the lead was
closer to me than ever friend sticks
in time of trouble, and I knew in my
heart that the next few stride would
settle things. The black pony was
galloping gamely under my weight.
Would he carry me safely out of that
line of fire, or would he fail me?
Suddenly something touched me on
the right temple; it was not like
y blow; it was not a shock; for half
second [ was conscious; [ knew l
was hit; knew that the reins had fall
en- from my nerveless hands; knew
that was lying down on my horses
back and my head hanging below his
throat. Then all the world went out
in one mad whirl. Earth and heaven
seemed to meet as if by magic. My
horse seemed to rise with me, not fall,
and then--chaos.
When next I knew T was still on
this planet I found myself in the sad
ole again, riding between two Beers,
who were supporting me in the saddle
as l swayed from side to side. There
was halt; q man with kindly face
took my head in the hollow of his
arm while another poured water down
my throat. Then they carried me to
shady spot beneath some shrubbery
and laid me gently down. One man
bent over me and washed the blood
that had dried on my face and then
carefully bound up my wounded tenn
pie. l began to see things more
plainly-a blue sky above me; group
of rough, hardy men, all armed with
rifles, around me. l saw that l was
prisoner, and when [ tried to move
1 soon knew was damaged.
The same goodJooking young fell
low with the curly beard bent over me
again. "Feel any better now, old
fellow?" I stared hard at the speaker,
for he spoke like an Englishman, and
well-educated one, too. eyes, I'm
better; I'm q prisoner, amt -"
yes" "Are You an Englishman?"
1 asked. He laughed. "Not t. he
said. "I'm a Boer born and bred,
and I am the man who bowled you
over. What on earth made You do
such a FOOLS trick rs to try and ride
from our rifles at that distance?"
Didn't think was welcome in these
parts" "Don't make a jest of it,
man, the Boer said, gravely; "rather
thank God you are living man at
this moment. II was His hand that
saved you; nothing else could have
done So" lie spoke reverently; there
was no cant in the sentiment he ut
tered--his face was too open, too
manly, too fearless for hypocrisy.
Chow long is it since 1 was knocked
over?" "About three hours" els
my comrade dead?" "Quite dead"
the Boer replied; "death came in
stantly to him. He was shot through
the brain" "Poor beggar" 1 NUT
| tared s.and he'll haya To rot on the