New-York tribune., 1900-07-08


ciple Of a hanson, but much less carefully ,, 6al,
anced, and also found stout and somewhat tmid
a number of Government ponies. whose backs were
too sore to permit their being used under the
must have two serviceabIe horses 10 bear on
patches and the other (myselO was under i'm
perative orders to make the quickest way to the
provided that signed a receipt for the horses
and brought them back next day With these con- con-
spending two more hours in finding two brutes who
cart and making hasty meal of bully beef and
bread. suppE<d by the good natured mother OF ten
four miles away where inquiry led us to believe
should find Lord Roberts's advance force
CROSSING THE vELDT.
We started across the veldt at feir pace.
six. eight and ten span Of oxen and mules, which
gave us good idea of the transport problem which
horses and oxen which had fallen in their tracks
way nef e f bahG sun our
less vedt all around dotted with innumerable
relieved only occasionally by few isolated kopjes.
yed onv All 0I the m ana a as
we drew near and passed pool of stagnant water
her in carrying on a war in an almost arid coun-
try seven thousand miles away from her base Of
Thirteen miles out of smaldeel we found our
farm before the war. and our hearts were somewhat
cheered by the sight of herd of twenty so
me been edent G that one ' Of our nf8 Ro 'GF
ao toward the Farm While behhd of 6
guard the horses and cart. For dreary hour I
boy. making the way toward the horses and
searching among them for something serviceable.
mare which looked fit enough. and In the end
Farquhar explained that he had had to use signs
in supplying our wants, there no white
ing but Dutch and Kaflr in neither of which
tongues was he proficient
We made the boy understand, however, that he
IaEt give @ us the male IN exchange for one of our
again. The rest Of that days Journey was accom-
piished at a fair pace. Ant hills grew more nu-
into a boundess sunbaked plain with no shadows
ana d no trees few miles from the farm we passed
outspanned, and the hundreds Of niggers were
animals We stopped for few moments TO to exc exc
change greetings and surmises with the officer in
charge Of the few troops guarding the transport
ana Rer then took took up our Journey again At Doom
another convoy T6e Of pGse b G anq
Vas Vas nothlng but creek with tiny stream mean
high banks we made P af ~thoat d9Hy faSsf9 and rather
roundgs aGRs 99 the 6e
more dead horses. more ant hills and conveys and
skedaddled there Was absolutely no cover Pres
entity the sun sank below the horizon and the sky
a revelation to dweIiers in other cIimes The sun
brilliant moon and sITy stds tb itP"g inIIn TTLg
stars. among which Venus, sinking slowly into the
splendor dmmed by the moon.
OVERTAKING A CONVOY.
About an hour after sunset as we gained the
crest crest or slight rise, wide circle of low lying
hres OF the Zand River camp. and congratulated
nearer apProab bdWa Ts Gg bS ss END dn put put
Tetdt grass burning. We went for another mile
higher, ground ahead. which we rightly assumed
With be tb DeGong the rxer we had now caught up
ing our way among innumerable wagons. heavily
oxen and mules. while the niggers walked along
soc soc cryng strange cries and plying whips twenty
2i t69tted BY carbne slgnE on shoulder and blanket
otcer wrapped up in his great coat galloped by IN
Virginia was the name of the little station this
s sac OF he Hand. now busting camp. and here
gbG" & pP at at trIe after o'clock before an
] adi ABOUT US preparing their evening meal at the
seems to disturb TommSs@ @ edHaniity IN
camp. He puts up with all sorts of hardships with
tne same philosophical good nature. 1t was a
CHEEKY sight to watch. and we looked about and
the fires fared up and sank down again. throwing
me forms into clear relief, and anon leaving
the day. A brief search showed us that the drift
get across that night. Headquarters were reported
70 be two miles beyond, however so we felt conf
Thereupon we outspanned and. picketing our
feed we sought O@na @ sn6 f to CaT m nor ana gTng them
the side Of a shanty found pile of corncobs
mealies they call them here, and of these we made
a clean and by no means uncomfortable couch.
W. we men zen boed some water over neighboring
camp nre made some tea from tabloids which I
5a n5a 2aG ad the foresight ] to bring ring win YIN and with
extremely satisfactory meal At O'Clock or so
we rolled ourselves up on our cOrnCOb couch. and.
asleep under the stars.
l woke up at about !, disturbed by wandering
pony, which looked like of ours. I knew we
lost if he wandered away and so iumped IN
head him off but found he was Stranger our u
team were standing quietly where we had picketed
was encouraging sign for had they been living
down should have feared they were played out
But they had grazed bounufully on the vedt scrub
and were fit enough though not 10 he hard pressed
rolled up again. and awoke with the sun i'm
my eyes. just above the horizon.
AT THE RIVER BANK
More tea and bully beef with some biscuits alias
crackers formed our breakfast. and nspanning
the still crowded wagons toward the drift TheT
had been crossing all night by the light of the
moon until II set but the line still stretched far
DacK toward Doom ftlVeT. At the river bank we
seemed no nearer the other side for there was no
break in the line but here Farquhar's dispatches
stood us IN good stead again. and obliging officer
halted the line to give a place The Uyav
heavier wagons one would sav--but we 6naIi,-
reached the other side and so dfd tbeI, hy, jin ~
much lashing and yelling the part OF the drivers
once on the light ground the other side we
stout resistance from the enemy the day before
had pitched camp seven not two miles further on
and mad resumed their march at dawn. There was
stopping every few hours by a wavsfle veil gn1
waiting our time with the hurryng troops to gel at
the water We were fairly up with the rear guard
now, and troops all about US our mace crew,
slower ana slower as the day wore on for we aid
not dare beasts too hard-a circyrrstor r'oa
toward IN the afternoon we passed the balloon
Whlch mad long been the most prominent feature az
IaTInh9uSe In S nesting among some popars where
LORD Roberts and his staff had pitched camp for
the night. imp A''
M