The Irish standard., 1900-02-10

mounted infantryman that Stuart's and
Forests troopers had in our civil war.
He is good shot, knows perfectly the
capacity of his rifle, its range and how
far he can risk it, and has since been
familiar with the horse he rides since
its colthood. All Boer horses are
trained to stand perfectly still when the
rider dismounts and throws the reins Or
the polnmel OF the saddle. He will not
even finch at the sight of charging
lion, and has stood still until his rider
could mount with half hundred naked
savage warriors within sixty yards OF
him, coming at the run, with hidcous
charging yell. He knows his masters
whistle, and the writer has seen horse
called from sixty-fve others to his ride.
100 yards away by a low whistle. To
stranger this horse is vicious and in
tractable, biting and striking furiously
on occasion at an unknown man, who
was vainly trying to mount. A few
words OF Dutch from his owner, and the
beast was as quiet and tractabe as any
pony.
Whatever else the Boer might be neg
lcctful of that pertained to the best that
modern civilization could furnish, there
was one thing in which he was per-
fectly up with the period. This was in
superiority and excellence of his weap
ons. The revolver is well-nigh unknown
to him, but with the hunting rifle he is
a wonderfully good hand, killing game
at ranges far beyond any distance at
which an American or Engishman
would ever think Of shooting. The
young men in question all carried a
singleshot rifle of IS caliber, that took
1oo-grain cartridge, with bullet
weighing from 4o5 to $50 grains.
The present writer saw species OF
antelope called the blaubok killed at
between 600 and 700 yards distance at
the second shot. The shot was off
hand, with pinl1ead front globe sigh
1900 yards. The rifle itself was made
and rear peep that was scaled UP to
by Rgby, OF Dublin, with an 8-pound
,2-inch barrel, and a Martini breech
closure. The first shot struck the
ground about ten yards in front OF the
feeding antelope, which was about the
size OF an average deer in this country
Put your sight quarter higher" said
Klase the third brother, to the elder,
Jan, who was shooting. And sure
enough, the next shot put the bullet
right through the animals heart. 1t
jumped probably twenty PAGES, and fell
dying. Riding along, one of the broth
crs would say: THAT white stone is
1000 yards away" II say it is $780,"
the one spoken to would reply. The
bullet shot at the o5o-yard mark on the
Vernier sight would hit the stone. This
faculty of judging distance, with the
vcldt quivering with heat, is one OF the
Beers most remarkable gifts.
At the time of the visit touched on
here it was no secret that the Beers
were thinking of establishing a min
iature republic, consisting OF Cape Col
ony. the Free State of Orange and the
territory beyond the River Vaal, mod
eled upon the United States.
How the present war will end can not
be predicted The Boer is mounted
infantryman. He has entered upon this
war with his usual foresight and delib-
Grafton, and will stay. He owns many
seasoned horses. If one is killed or
dies, he can speedily get another just as
good. He can ride all around the hot
blooded, unseasoned, marching British
soldier. He has borne the danger, the
toll and the hardships Of the pioneer for
over 200 years. His daring spirit has
conquered the African wilderness and
its wild beasts and wilder men. As the
school boy said, who was directed to
compose an essay on the customs and
manners of the inhabitants of one OF
the British isles, Customs beastly,
manners none" This covers the Boer
case exactly. He is no drawing room
ornament, but a strong, direct and pri-
mitive man. He loves his friends and
hates his enemies. He loves freedom,
and is terribly ignorant of all passing
in the rest of the world, and curiously
unsociable. His virtues are those OF a
half savage race. Honesty, sobricty,
confluence, hospitality and splendid
sclf-rcliancc. He does but little manual
labor himself, for he has hundreds OF
Negroes to do his hard work for him.
Fills standard OF comforts is very low.
He knows nothing of art or literature,
Or the higher amenities of civilization,
and will never learn. His qualities,
such as they are, have been hardened
by a usage OF over 200 years.
What will become OF this curious So
cial anomaly at the end of the nine
tecnth century no man living can fore
sec.