Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-01-25

chIlobcHeu VI Mat y III uouoI VI MIS-.
Long, and Father Walsh, Roman
Catholic priest who had elected to
cast in his lot with the little garrison,
formally blessed it.
An envoy from the Beers, Dietrich
Muller, appeared, on the 9th of De-
cember, with proposal that the gar
rison should surrender and accept a
safe conduct into Natal. His surprise
at the youthful appearance OF the
commandant of the fort was great.
"Dat younker!" he exclaimed in con-
tempt. But ''dat younker" was not
so green as Mr.. Muller imagined. He
suggested writing to Pretoria for in
stluctions. Muller consented, and
Lieutenant Long thus cleverly gained
a delay of five days, which he utilized
in very materially Strengthening his
defences.
On the 4th of January the Beers
appeared in force, some 700 OF them,
aud formally demanded surrender of
the fort, to which summons the young
subaltern returned the spirited reply:
ut is inconsistent with my duty as
soldier to surrender my trnst." An
urgent appeal was once more made by
Mrs. Longs friends in the town to
induce her to quit the fort aud take
up her residence in one of the many
homes placed at her disposal. But she
stoutly refused.
Two day .tterwards the attack COM
iced. For three hours and a half
700 Beers kept up continuous rife
fire upon the little fort at range of
500 yards. In her own charmingly
modest and simple narrative, Mrs.
Long thus describes her feelings when
she first found herself under fire:
II must humbly confess that dur
ing the first hour OF the firing | was
dreadiully frightened, and took refuge
under table, for it's imaginary shell
ter. Father Walsh, enIo. ing the hut
at that moment, with his b. eviary in
his hand, to look for me, and not find
ing me, as he expected, called me. I
lifted the table cover and poked my
head out, saying, Here l am, Fathern
My position struck me as SO In licrous
that 1 burst into hearty fit OF laugh
ter. Not till p. IN. was l able to as
rible tire of the last four hours, not a
man had been wounded. My hus-
band, knowing how anxious l should
be as to his safety, look ed in as often
as he could to cheer me-
But she very soon overcame these
natural terrors, and got SO used to the
firing, even when the Beers brought
couple of cannon to bear on the fort,
that she frequently slept right through
the cannonad
What with tending the sick and
wounded, and making sandbags, some
times turning out as many as four
dozen Of them in day, Mrs. Longs
time was fully occupied. Think OF
her there, one woman, little more than
a girl, alone among 60 men fighting
for their lives against ten times their
number! What wonder that the men
fought like heroes with this dainiily
bed England lady sharing all their
dangers and setting them an example
of patience and courage and cheerful
ness. She admitted that at first she
felt tue absence of any of her own sex
keenly. But the soldiers were so de
vo ed t. her, so delicate in their solici.
tnde and consideration for her, that
she soon lost the sense of loneliness.
One day strange messenger ar
rived, little black-and-tan terrier,
with piece of paper folded in rag
tied round its neck. 1t was commu.
nication from soma friendly townsfolk
informing them that the Beers were
qnarreling among themselves, furious
with Dietrich Muller for being such
a fool as to allow the English those
five days to complete their defences;
and adding, as hint, that the defend
ers of the fort were firing too high
which hint, 1 need hardly say, was
quickly taken.
The garrison had nothing IN the
shape of gun with which to meet the
fire of the two-pounders that the Beers
had in position. But one day Mrs.
Long suggested to one of the army
service men that the monkey of an
Abyssinian pump which they mad
might perhaps be utilized. The idea
was promptly seized upon and ingen-
iously carried into execution; and the
Boe were very much amazed when
cylin lrical shot weighing two yrunds
six ounces, formed of round crc oar
iron cased in lead, came crashing in
among them. "Mrs. Longs gum as
il was christened. proved a verv vain.