The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-04-16
.B()ERS IND THEIR HABITS
AN AUSTRALIAN CORRESPONDENT
WRITES OF THE PEOPLE BRIT
ONS ARE FIGHTING
WOMEN IN THE LAAGERs
they Are There Not to Fight, but
10 Minister to the Wounded and
Care for the Dead-HOw
Camp Is Made.

correspondence of the Associated Press
LONDON, April IA. c. HaIes tba
australian correspondent, who was cap
tured by the Beers and released bv
President Steyn, writing from Burgers
oorp to the Daily News, says:
many and wonderful are the stories
written and published concerning the
boer and his habits when on the war
path. Most of these stories are written
py men who take good care never 70
get within hundred miles of the fight
ing line, but content themselves with an
easy chalr' cigar, a bottle of whisky
ana carpet slippers on the stoop of some
good MOTEL in pretty little Boer
town.
Possibly it may interest Enelishmen
ana women, too, for that matter. TO know
what fighting laager is like, and as 7
nave seen half a dozen of them from
the enemy's side of the wall. roueb
pen and ink sketch may not be amiss
In war times the Boer never. under anv
circumstances, makes his laager in the
open country, if there are any kopies
ABOUT. No matter how secure he NAV
fancy himself from attack. no matter
IL there is not a foe within fifty miles
OF him, the Boer commander ALWAYS
pitches his laager in a place of safety he
tween two parallel lines of hills. so that
an attack cannot be made upon him,
either front or rear, without giving him
an immediate advantage over the at
lacking force, even If the enemy is ten
times as strong in numbers.
by this means the Beers make their
iaagers almost impregnable. If they
have choice of ground. thew pick a
narrow ravine or gully with q line of
hills, front and rear, covered with small
rocky bGulders and bushes They drive
their wagons In between these hills.
PRAISE FOR BOER WOMEN
The women are placed in safety, for it
Is noticeable fact that vast numbers
OF women have followed their husbands
and brothers to the war, not to act as
Vlragos, not to play the wanton, nor to
unsex themselves, nor to handle the ri
he, but to nurse the wounded, to com
tort the dying and to lay out the dead.
L have heard them singing around the
camp fires in the starlight, but it was
hymns that they sung, not ribald songs.
nave seen them kneeling by the side of
AAiSAA IA IuO AAoOLllSuIS out not IN wan
tonness, but in mercy, and many a man
who wears the British uniform TODAY
can bear me witness that [ speak the
truth.
The Boer never, If he can help it, al
lows himself to be separated from his
morse, and these hardy little animals,
mostly about fifteen hands high, are
plcketed to the spot where the rider de-
posits his rifle and blankets. If the
Beers allow them to Craze on the hill
sides during the day they run a rope
through the halter near the horses muz-
zle and tie it close above the knee Joint
OF the near foreleg. By this means the
horse can Craze in comfort, but cannot
move away at any pace beyond a slow
walk, and so are easily caught and sad
died, If required in a hurry. The oxen
and sheep to be used for slaughtering
purposes are driven close UP to the
camp, wagon or two is drawn across
the ravine above and below them and
they then cannot stampede if frightened
by anything unless they climb the rocky
heights on either side OF Them which
they have small chance of doing, as the
Kaffir herdsmen sleep on the hills above
them
SCOUTS SENT OUT.
Having pitched his lager, the COM
mander sends out his scouts. Some am
BILE off on horseback at a pace they call
'trffie'-a gait which all the Beers edu-
cate their nags to adopt 1t is not
exactly an amble, but cousin to it.
marvelously easy to the rider while it
enables the nag to get over a wonderful
lot of ground without knocking up 1t
also allows the horse to pick his way
amongst the rocky ground and to save
his legs, where an English, Canadian Or
Australian horse would hA ant fo
himself in very short order. AS soon
as the mounted scouts set off on their
journey, holding the reins carelessly in
the left hand, their handy little Mauser
rifles in their right, sitting carelessly in
the saddle, after the fashion of all bush
workers, the foot scouts take up their
positions among the rocks and scrubs
on the hills, front and rear of the lager
Each scout has a bandolier full of cart
ridges over his shoulder and his scant
blanket over his left arm. No fear of
him sleeping at his post. He is fight
ing for honor, not for pay; for home, not
for glory, and he knows that on his
acuteness the lives of all may depend
He knows that his comrades and the
women trust him, and he values the
trust as dearly as British soldiers ever
did. No matter how tired he may be.
No matter how famished, the Boer SEN
tinel is never faithless to his orders.
when the scouts are out the lager
is laid for the night-not a very exhaus-
tive proceeding, as the Beers do not go
In for luxuries of any kind. Here a
tarpaulin is stretched over temporary
ridge POLE blankets are tossed down on
the hard earth, saddles are used for pill
lows and the couch Is complete. A little
farther down the line rude canvas
screen is thrown over the wheels of a
wagon, and family, or rather husband
and wife, make themselves at home un-
der the wagon. while the single men
simply throw themselves at full length
on the ground, wrap their one small thin
blanket around them and smoke and jest
merriy enough, while the Kaffirs light
the fires and make the coffee