Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-21

pharmacy as the doctor counted them over,
L felt that peace had never been in our
generation that Number Three hospital
train-iodoform scented. washed, scrubbed
and scoured-had piled since the beginning
of time.
Know now that hospital trains have the
right of way over all traffic, and since
their crews feed aboard them, need only
stop to water and change engines.
We slipped out of Cape Town into the
twilight at a steady twenty-five miles an
hour on our 600-mile journey north.
Some day you in England will realize
what it means to handle armies and their
supplies over this distance on a single
three-foot-sx line.
The war has been a war of shunting and
sidetracking of teiegraphs and time tables:
so we may hope that the railway men, who
have worked like devils, will not be over
looked when the decorations come ripe
Because the line runs through Cane Col
ony, and because Cape Colony is-we have
the highest authority for illegally trying
to be neutral" every bridge. every cuivert.
every point. at which the line may be cut or
blown up was guarded by a little netach-
ment of armed men.
These are drawn chiefly from local corps,
unteer Rifles. They do not like the work:
they love still less the loyalty which has
made the fatigue necessary.
Said dust spotten. begrimed sergeant of
the Dukes" as Number Three, double
headed. painted up the Hex river pass into
the Karroo: We've been here since No
pember. don't mind telling you were
pretty sick of it. We haven't had look in
line. Lovely work.
The setting of the picture hardly varied
hairs breadth.
The single track, lifting and dancing in
the heat; the brown, hairless hills busted
with split stones; the sleek mirage, the knot
OF khaki figures. the dingy tents. repeated
themselves as though we were running in
circles.
Here was a water tank Number Three
drank of it, sucking thirstfly; here was
speckle of ten houses and a refreshment
room, which we had no need to enter: here
was a new laid siding. and Number Three
flung them all behind her: but from the
men with rifles. the red eyes, brist1e beard
ed. disguised truck watchers there was no
escape.
The ImmutabIe East.
Suddenly we overhauled a train load of
horses, Bhownagar's and Jamnagar's gifts
to the war; stolid saices and a sowar or
two in charge.
Whence dost thou Gomez
From Bombay, with Sahib." He look
ed like hyderabadi, but he had taken off
| most of his clothes.
''Dost thou know the name Of this land?'
mo"
'Dost thou know whittier thou goest2"
81 do not know"
What, then, dost thou dor
81 go with my Sahib."
Great is the east, serene and fmmutable
We left them feeding and watering as the
order was.
A few miles further on-forty or fifty are
OF no account in this huge place-were
guns. infantry and buck wagons rumbling
toward De Aar. and, l think, New South
Wales Lancers. Then Victorian contin-
gent camped by the Wayside happier than
the Dukes" because they were nearer the
front, but wrathful in that certain Cana
dams still further up the line had had the
audacity to make camp called Maple Leaf.
They wanted news of the Burmah mill
fary pelice-long men on little clockwork
ponies, recently landed, and vanished. Corps
have a knack Of disappearing bodily in this
country.
OF the Burmans knew nothing. but couId
furnish Information more or less accurate
of some Malay Light Horse lately seen In
Cape Town. and of some yeomanry details
Ah!' said Australia, with a rifle by the
water tank. wait till you see our Queens
thing
Then he expressed private and unprint
able opinion about those arrogant Canucks
UP the line, which opinion twisted the other
way I got back again from Canadian, an
eastern province man, few hours later
Strictly in confidence, may tell you the
colonial corps are riding just the least little
bit in the world jealous. They have each
the honor of new country to uphold and
1t is neck and neck between them
So sat joyously on the rear platform
while Number Three ran the links of en-
pire through my hands.
English of the Midlands. Cockney, Scotch
Irish, Welsh, Africa born, Queenslander (he
had been in the Sunnyside 'daur" and
'blew' furiously). Victorian and Canadian
one after another. We picked them up and
dropped them with a flying word.
There was nothing wrong with that chain
and by the same token it seemed to have
got hold of something at last, for truck
load OF Boer prisoners slid by in charge of a
few disreputable bearded comets.
HOP? said an orderly, critically. "And
where did you pick them up?'
Round Paardeberg There's more to fol-
low. Most of these is Transvaalers"
That's all right" said the orderly. .
The army You see. is collecting Trans
walters, and has come a long way for sam
pies.
AN which might be prisoner and which
is guard?"
Said the head cornet with battered he'll
met. "a I'm sergeant of the Northamptons
In charge"
Oh you are. are you? Then, what are
A