The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-04-10
Graphic Description of the Terrible
SuilcrIng> Endured i'll South
.Aflica.
HOW ONE MAN WAS RELIEVED.
Lay All Day Within Sight nj
Water. aud Then. trazed.
Made Dash for Ii. Only
to Be Instantly Killed.
81 ,b. Associated Press

Correspondence or tn. Associated Press
London. March 31.-Everybody remembers
the famous picture of Thirst which Dor
trays the gaunt, half-starved Hon in the
midst Of the desert. tapping UP the few re-
manning drops of moisture from an inpov-
er!shed pool.
A correspondent In the Morning Post tells
us that though the British soldier has
thirsted in the thirsties: corners of the
globe, he admits the veldt to be fresh eX-
per;ence, Alden. India. Egypt.th Soudan-bu.
here Is something not hotter. not drier. not
dustier, but less cndUrable for some reason.
1t Is the army and South Africa, together.
no doubt, which is the cause for men who
have lived In Kimberley. johannesburg,
Blosmfontein and Natal are only now
while campaigning. acquiring the experience
Of the army. incessantly tramping, the
ceaselcss fog of dust that hangs about It's
camps. the compulsory life In the SUM- the
sun at its hottest and dricst hours the ab-
scnce OF shade. and the parching suction OF
the sand. which is bed. chair and table
At Ramdam there was big pond-what
was left of moisture in the dam One
hatheh in It only under the most pressing
o"mpuision "f cleanliness. The water was
deep. One sank to the knees If one tried
TO walk. ana so sat gently half In mud and
taft in brown syrup and thanke! God for
water. one rose from It with the green
leeches hanging about ones body like bits of
seawsei. and with spr!nklins of less
known Insects.
Horses looked askance at that pool but
the men drank it greedily-and drank of II
srccdiiv where alone they could reach it.
where the horses boots had churned it into
a hl;"kist crc"u lau"r thick as soup
Ono Nnn'. Fighting.
Here is vi.n.tte from the field OF bat
tie: Twenty wards tu the left is "A man
lying pressed ;ilt against the ground. He
is very much the ground color. and the &C.
cas9nal Ca; dust-Thiris over him have aided
cred scr,;h which help TO hide him. though
hut few inches high. The sun has been
blazing ON his back and the sand about
him for seven hours. and the veldt wavcrs
CUnfusedly in the glare of the heat. a
pale blue lake of mirage has formed about
the furthest kopjes and left them like dark
islands In the sky.
The man on the lief, feels einscriy for
the tin hottie which lies under his left ell
bow. his fingers spread over its felt cover
ing. and ne gives it q gentle shake. Tho
shake is repeated and he begins to draw
the bottle slowly under him. keeping bis
body risidIy stiff
The job is Il long one because the bottle
strap catches in his accoutermeuts and H.,
dare not move to free it. When he has it
at last beneath him hc begins to turn over
as; slowly as he has done all else. He lifts
his foot II few inches TO balance himself and
the next instant there is a spit of dust Sand
hcS!da him not much more than arms
length away-thc spit of bullet. He Keeps
his eyes on tn. mark the bullet has mad.
and remains for some moments as If il had
turned him to stone. Then. with a more
lahorious patience. he resumes his movement
until mt last ne IS on his back and has the
bottle above him. 1t holds only Il few hot
drops. but he thought he had drained even
them an hour before. and his tongue is like
4 piece of fur In his mouth.
How lie Got There.
He got. with rush. to the place he oc-
cIlpies about O'Clock In the morning. when
a sudden crack" from the river in front OF
him laid the whole line on its face. where it