Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-08


and once the trekking of the wagons had
started it was impossible to get the
burghers to stay. The horse stealing. gen.
eral footing and the drink nuisance l put
down with a firm hand Stopping the leave
was met with threats of desertion. More
than once I had to draw my revolver ana
could cope with this nuisance. The infer.
tority of our generals was chronic
A dispatch rider galloped into the lager,
and all the men were agog He handed me
scription In Dutch, for which the nearest
English charlottesville noble. austere
Colonel Lynch'-is but a weak and haccid
equivalent. The letter was from Genera
scension on his part, for 1t would nave
been more in order, and perfectly polite.
from a superior officer. to have omitted the
title "austere." That encouraging word.
I thought. had the odor of battle. The
letter contained the order to proceed I'M
medately with all my force, except the
"foot-sloggers." as they were popularity
called, to Helpmakar.
The distance to Helpmakar by the best
route was about thirty miles, but there was
no advantage in covering this long stretcH
walk their horses as much as possible, until
such time as they are actually required
to make speed. Then they gallop At the
head Of the column they place horses Whicn
known down there as "trippling." Trip
pling is kind OF pacing action. In when
the horse is as easy to sit as In walking.
but which also produces speed OF nve, six,
or even seven miles an hour, with mucn
less stress to the horse than In trotting.
At Helpmakar, whittier we took up our
march on receipt of my order. ] saw hosts
OF our commanders in position under cover
of a low ridge OF ground. and in force
enough-between two and three thousand
to keep an army at bay. Yet all was LOST
They had arrived too late. They could not
force the English again through the pass
We held a war council. General Lucas
Meyer presided. and all the commandants
attended 1t was decided to retreat, ana
there was but one stopping place, ana that
was Laing's Mex.
The Retreat.
That Journey to Glencoe I shall never for
get. I had sent a messenger back 10 the
lager to order the tents to be struck and
the wagons to be loaded. and when 1 re-
turned about nightfall all was In readiness;
all was in haste for already we were ex-
pecting the English to come up also by
Waschbank. and the sound of fighting was
heard on the other side OF the Mill. we
burned the grass as we went. The names
raced and roared along the dry veldt, and
our caravan wendell its way on the narrow
road lighted UP by the ocean or fre on
both sides. while the volumes OF smoke
filled the air. 1t was a picture of inferno
itself Seventy-two hours from my original
start from Glencoe I arrived at Charles
town. and in that three days l had had but
~,
sat in the saddle the greater part of the
time
up with remarkable speed, soon saw me
bodies of Lancers and mounted Infantry IN
pursuit. The situation was critical
1 called my brigade. A good few OF the
men came at once. Others galloped OF,
swearing or laughing. why should they
ight,' they grumbled or yelled. while the
burghers were making off as fast as they
too, would stand to the last!
1t was terrible argument. One or my
sergeants. a daring and desperate fellow,
Knocked at the men, insulted them, called
him, furious They would like to rend him
to pieces "Cowards.' They were no cow
ards! They had more pluck than he! They
swore in their wrath They followed MN,
the coward; they would teach him with
whom he was dealing. They came to the
hill That was all that we wanted. They
grasped their rifles and bounded up the
rocks to the front.
Captain Ricchiardi of the Italian scouts
had Joined US, a tall, handsome black
bearded. powerful young man, beau ideal
exhorted the men who rode by, called on
them ordered them to stand They rode
silently Ricchiardi galloped among
threatened them with his revolver; he seized
the rens of their horses. 1t had no effect.
The burghers rode silently on. A few men
came back, then more: and at length we
had fair number. The men who stayed
were from the commanders of Johannes
burg. Boksburg. Carolina and Zoutpans-
berg. and these were all very fine fellows.
The English were rapidly approaching.
Their numbers We're so great that l felt
not at all assured as to the final result, es-
pecially as my own men. having taken
cover, seemed. most of them, to have van
ished into the earth One of my sergeants
stalked by, a young Afrikander who had
fought to the last at the famous first COM
bat Of Elandslaagte. He was q quiet and
taciturn man, but in the face of danger he
became animated and brilliant.
A Brush With the English.
Its all right, colonel. he cried. as he
selected his rock; I'VE can hold out here
against whole army!'
Brave words, indeed. My Afrikanders
were giants in battle.
1 was gazing at the road some fifty yards
off into which I expected every moment to
see the Lancers or Carbineers sweep. The
moment was anxious. My secretary arrived
by my side. He was a doctor of philosophy,
a middle-aged fogy, very short-sighted,
bad horseman and a worse shot. and the
mildest-mannered man who ever served as
trooper. For he had mania to follow me
as trooper, and his mind was as lofty as
that of knight of romance. In his right
hand he carried his rifle and in his left a
canvas bag. "Colonel.' he called.
/ turned round.
would you like a biscuit, colonel?' he
said, and he showed me that the canvas
bag was full Of that staple provision.
took his biscuit, shaking with laughter.
Thunder of heaven! / cried, and verita-
bly, the heavens seemed bursting with thun-
der, and the air crashed as with the crack
ing Of whips and with the yelping and
barking of demen-like dogs. 1t was our
rifles. We had fired too soon. We had not
calmly awaited the psychological moment
to pour in our lead / called loudly to my
men and we ran forward to the front.
Meanwhile we had given the guns a good
chance of escape. Already we had done our
duty A great many Of the men left the
hill, quietly, silently. They mounted their
horses and galloped away. In traversing
the hill they had set fire to belt of dry
grass, which burned rapidly, and by its
smoke hid their fight from the view Of the
English.
1 wanted to see what the enemy would do.
I waited ON the hill I saw them reforming.
saw them come into regular order as If
on the parade ground. The artillery was
brought up also with remarkable speed.
Already it was playing on the hill and the
balls were also striking thick near to where
our horses were standing. Afrikanders how
ever, choose cover most cleverly. The
shells, fired high enough to avoid the brow
of the hill, must inevitably pass clear of
our horses