Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1900-04-05

: ing up the hill after him. and you gets
so excited that it fairly makes you sick
when ii cuts off short just as the pirate
king comes up the hill with his mouth
full of knives an alb )ut three thousand
pirates behind him."
The Boer took the tattered dog's-ear-
ed paper. and queer look came into
his eyes as he regarded this remark
able youngster, who. in the very face
of death. was more interested in the
fate Of a novelette, hero than in his own.
II say, youngster." he said; why
don't you clear out of this and get back
to the army!'
"Wot! an leave our chaps behind? Not
me-" responded the bugler rather indig-
nantly.
There will be about seven thousand
men on to you by daybreak. and your
general seems to have forgotten you. II
YOU keep those two stars in a line with
the top of yOn mountain peak, you will
come to the horses of the commando
which are surrounding us now. Why
not take my hat and run down there.
collar Il horse and ride for reinforce
ments. Your general has mslaid you.
There are some good horses down there.
too: some that we cOllare1 with a
squadron of your dragons" added the
Boer.
Then Bugler Simmons made no more
demur. He sought his officer. who had
been mourning him as dead. and laid a
plan before him. His officer gave him
his blessing and compass. the face of
which was painted with luminous
paint, so that its points might he read
easily in darkness. and explained to
him the probable position of the British
forces.
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Half an hour later Bugler Simmons
was crawling quietly among a dense
crowd Of ROer horses. Armed with a
penknife. he cut hobhle after hObble
till, in the darkness. he came to bri
to bite him affectionately.
He felt the brute's knees. There was
no doubt about it. He had happened
upon an old friend. Corporal lIawkey's
Ginger, late Of the Pink dragons, now
serving in a Boer remount.
For reasons best known to himself
Ginger always bit ut a trumpeter but
he allowed Simmons to climb on to his
back without resenting.
Some Beers on the outside of the
crowd Of horses moved backward and
forward suspiciously. and Buger Sim.
mons lay low on Ginger's neck as he
inflated his lungs and placed his trum.
pet to his lips.
The Beers and the besieged on the
hill above heard sharp succession Of
cavalry calls sounding from the midst
of the horses.
They were answered by the tramp of
disciplined hOofs as the horses Of the
squadron galloped toward the sound Of
the trumpet. In another second the
whole mass Of horses was in motion,
surging round Ginger, on whose back
lay Bugler Simmons. giving call after
call, until he felt the troop horses re.
spending. bringing their Boer brothers
with them.
"Forward"
"Charge"
The calls rang out in quick success
sion.
The dragons horses set example,
while the BOer steeds stampeded In sym
pathy. Picket ropes and hobbies snap
ped like pack threads and there was a
thunder of hoofs on the pain. In vain
| cE tod t,in fn hnu
them off. The mass had started. and
from the center rang out the "Charge."
which kept the leaven in a state of wild
excitement. In few minutes Bugler
Simmons was surrounded by a racing
crowd Of 500 horses. against which
nothing could stand.
They charged over Boer encamp-
pied it were found the next day beaten
to n pulp beneath the laundering hoofs.
The pace slowed after six miles. when
an English patrol hove in sight. The
trumpet from the middle OF the mob OF
horses sounded signal Of distress. and
the patrol bore down.
care you circus?" called the officer
In charge.
He rode in and cut the bugler's horse
out of the snorting, stamping mob.
"If vol please. I've come for little
help for the Tyrone fusiliers." answer
ed Bugler Simmons family, but with a
tone of rodent sarcasm. You can tell
those blooming reinforcements that we
couldn't send cabs for them. but I've
brought them few UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Magazine.
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Hard Work ut the Vatican.
met u prelate employed in the Vat