Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-03-02
THE SUBALTERN'S STORY
A Story of a Plucky Young Officer
in the Boer War of 1881.
Ry Frederick q. EngeIback.

general and the drill sergeant in parucu-
lar.
"Seems to me-" snarled one, that
when these ere recruity officers is drill
ing along O. us it's we poor coves as got
TO bear the blame il they makes a mis-
take"
And a good job, too" chimed in a
fresh voice from behind. ITS part OF
your training"
The lads swung round angrily and
found an old soldier standing beside
them. One glance at his good conduct
stripes and another at the long string of
war ribbons across his breast hushed
every surly murmur.
"Look here, lads" he began, lust shut
I'D and listen to me while | tell you
yarn of the Boer war of 1881. Ihese
young officers may now and again be Tools
on parade but wait till the band begins
to play, wait till your hearts going plt-a-
pat, and you won't have far to look for
them then. You'll see them walking up
and down while you're lying on your
belly and they'll call out, Come on, lads
There's no Go on, lads, about them.
I'D been in the corps II months when
the war began, and | just missed being
sent to the depot with lot of our young
s.
officer called Tryon, and, do what he
scould. the drillbook fair mastered him.
Gawd's truth! What a mess he'd make
of our squad sometimes and how we got
it hot from the sergeant! Worst of it
was Mr.. Tryon was as nice young chap
as you'd meet anywhere, and the chaps
fair loved him. He'd got jolly sort OF
smile on his face as made you feel he
wasn't thinking himself better nor you
because he was an officer. Well, he man
aged to come ou. with us somehow, and
we were glad enough, too, for we knew
he'd pan out all right, Gawd rest his
soul We got stuck away at Newcastle,
in Natal, a long way from everybody and
80 miles from our base, and the old man
got nervous.
"You sec, lads, although we were really
at war, we were supposed to be at peace,
and so in such times you get to expect
treachery Our telegraph Office was go
ing pretty nigh all day long, what with
one thing and another, and the colonel,
knowing that there was an office at In
gogani, thought he'd see that all was on
the square. You follow me, ehF
The question was beside the mark, for
every lads mouth and eyes were wide
open.
"Sure as fate, me and nine others were
told off to tramp down to that Gawd for
saken little hole, with young Lieutenant
Tryon in command. Ten solid miles,
lads. My Lord, didn't we cuss and
swear!
"Off we went, with orders to sleep that
night at Ingogani and to make our report
next day at Newcastle. 1t didn't take
US long to find out, what some knew al
ready, that the young officer was n real
good un, and I'm bowed il he didn't
give each of us two jolly good cigars
which he had brought from the officers
mess. So we lit up and slung along as
cheerful as grigs on a hearth. laughing
and talking as though war was out of
the question. 1t was nigh on 10 o'clock
before we got near the town, which was
quite deserted. 1t seemed like walking
through a dead place, for every house
was shut up and not light showing any
where. Then we made for the railway
station, where the telegraph Office was,
and there we saw a light showing in the
window.
THAT'S all right said the officer to
me. Push on, men; we shall all be glad
| of a rest
without a thought of anything wrong
we marched up to the station, and on the
| platform slipped off our straps and belts
while the lieutenant walks up to the Of
fee and opens the door. Almost before
we could do more than open our silly
mouths out tumbles lot of Beers right
into the middle of u.s. We hadn't half a
chance, and not one of us got to his rife
in time to fire even a shot. | marked one
chap with a clip on the jaw, but he paid
| mo nj xxha oil II
| up, curse him, for he jammed his rifle
butt into the small of my back till |
could have hollered. Then they marched
us into the Office, with our hands tied
behind us, and there we found the lieu
tenant In front OF the telegraph instru-
ment sat shivering man, white as a tai
low candle and looking fit to drop, while
on each side of him stood a Boer in shirt
sleeves, with a Martini rife lying snugly
on his arm.
Now, roineks,' said a big fuzzy whis-
kered man, I've trapped you like rats in
a trap. You didn't think that we were
going to sit still forever, did you? You
didn't think we had grit enough to get
behind your camp, did youP
eve were in a hole, and that was GER
tain, and | gave up hope of ever seeing
the old regiment any more. Our chaps
tried % put bold face on it, but it was
a poor attempt, very poor attempt.
looked over at the officer, and, by all
that's holy, lads, he was quite chirpy
There was a bit of a smile on his face
and it heartened me up.
Now, you,' the Boer snarled at ouI
officer, you've got to telegraph up tC
Newcastle as if from your headquarters
and order your regiment to go down by
rail to Ladysmith tomorrow. The cur
there-he pointed to the telegraph man
knows the way to get to business. II
you hadn't come along making moist
enough for a whole commando, you'd
have caught us nicely Now, then, Wen
give you five minutes to make up your
minds, and if you refuse-well, every
man dies inside of seven minutes
"He said something to his men, and
they trooped out of the room, and we
could hear horses moving up and down
The big clock licked away like bell, anC
for few seconds no one said a word.
suppose my face was the same color a;
the others, and theirs were green enough
"'Now, my lad began Mr. Tryon
coming near to the telegraph man, we've
got to do our duty'-his hands were tieC
tight behind him, but he didn't vince, no
he. If you send off that message, thes,
devils will ambush the regiment or blow
up the train as it goes down tomorrow
and we may-mind, l say may-save on
skins. If, on the other hand, you wir
up the truth to Newcastle, the regimen
will march down with all precautions
and we shall die
n