Arizona silver belt., 1900-03-15

whelming noise. Cronie held on
 bravely. By day his men lived in a
 torrent of missiles; by night the sky
 was lighted by the flames of his burn
 ing wagons. The remnant burrowed deeper into the side of the river bank and stuck there.
 Every hour the British as soon as new trenches were dug and new gun emplacements constructed, crept up.
 When morning broke last Tuesday, 50 guns were in striking distance of the
 Boers. The gunnerS saw the burgh- CTS throwing up high entrenchments
 in the hurry of desperation. A few shells were sent to drive the men away from the work. At the same
 time the guns of Frinch $ force to the northward were heard engaged, pre- sumably, with BOerS pressing to re- enforce their friends. Three field bat terieS and two naval l2-pounderS were emplaced south of the river at dis tance of 2000 yards. On the north
 
 bank one howitzer, three field bat terieS and three naval guns were al- ready placed so they entiladed the river, while other guns arrived hourly from all directions.
 With these powerful muzzleS di- rected upon them the BoerS awaited l their fate. The distant booming of ] French'S $ guns was taken as signal for the British artillery to open fire. ! The bOmdardment was one of the most terrible in modern warfare. | There were British guns enough tO | oppose 50,000, hurling their shells at a force, which at this time must not have numbered more than jO00. Nev~ ertheleSs, although some of the Brit iSh guns got as close as 1000 yards gunners dropped occasionally in their tracks from MauSer bullets from the hands of the dauntlesS farmers.
 The Modder river bed became q great graveyard. Medical service was inadequate and the valley became a stenchful slaughter pen, with the hot African sun beating down into it.
 "All day this, and the next the British, by a gallant charge, captured the remaining kopie held by the Boers. The end was thereby much nearer for Cronje and his brave fol- lowers
 'Itmerely remained for the British to continue their closing in tactics. Gun after gun was moved up yard after yard, until some of them hurled lyddite point-blank at the hiding BOers.
 surely the Boers must give up soon,
 But no white flag was hOiSted and Friday came, and Saturday, with the grim arm of Britain steadily tighten ing about the weakening body of CrOnje.
 If De Wet got within helping dis tance of Cronje he was hurled back ]. and old Conje was left to fight 1t out alone in the bloody bottom of the ' Modder.
 Little light was shed upon the sit . nation during the last week of Conje's !. desperate resistance. From that . point of view, with the reyerses of the . past in mind, all sorts of doubts came into the public mind. For Sabbath . reading the English learned that the battle still ragged and that Command ants De Wet, Prinsloo and BOtha were moving up to offer what succor they could. The home folks knew that Kitchener and Roberts must make puck work of it.
 None knew this better than Kitch- ener and Roberts. Even at night the smelling continued. The burning sup ply wagons made targets for the lyd- dite shells, and the guns. sighted in the falling day, were kept hot during the night.
 'Conje, coOped up in his death cage, knew on Friday that the anniversary of Maiuba Hill was to come on Tues day
 If those in front of him were not darwn of Co fight away the battalions of DeWet and Prensloo, he doubtless felt that Tuesday would be his last day in command of the Boer forces in this war.
 General Roberts learning from captured Buers that women were in Cronjes laager, sent word that he would give them safe escort without the fighting lines. The answer. from the mouths of the women themselves, was that husbands and wives would fight and dle together.
 Monday was distinguished by a splendid charge of Canadian troops, who throughout the seven days light ing had been conspicuous for gal lantry.
 The fearful hammering continued through Monday. The British trench was now close about the BOera Fight ing was now visible matter on both sides. British and B0er were now face to face. With another single con