The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-29
SIX
~T~

DOWNRIGHT 1900 by Richard Harding Davis.
pratoria Nav 1.-THE Sand River was the
last natural obstacle between the BRUSH
Army and Kroonstad, the new capl'ai III
which the Government of the Orange Free
State had set up housekeeping after us
eviction from Bloemfontein.
Somebody's victorious army-1 do not even
now know whose. although ran before IL
for three iays-had swallowed up Brandfort,
winburg and Smaldeel, making q meal or
each IN n brief forty-eight hours. Its next
meal. unless 1t were halted at the sai'o'
would he Nentersberg. At kroonstad, thirty
miles back from Nentersberg, the Govern
nlent. with its Executive Chamber IN the
6ancIne hall Of the hotel. was busy round
ing up stray burgher3 and hurrying them 10
the front and back of the post oflce. the
telegraph clerks and Kafiirs with rakes were
forestalling the British occupation by feed
ing official kilograms and papers TO great
bonfire.
But Ventersberg was calm. II was not
destroying discriminating documents nor
driving weary burghers from its solitary
street Il was making them welcome at
Jones's Hotel. The sun had sunk an angry
crimson. the sure sign, so they said. OF a
bloody battle on the morrow. and full
moon had turned the dusty street and the
veldt into which Il disappeared into field
OF snow.
The American scouts had halted at Joness
Hotel and the American proprietor was CIV
Ing them drinks free. Their cowboy spurs
5!ngled on the floor of the barroon, on the
boards of the verandas. on the stone floor
of the kitchen and around the billiard table.
where they were playing pool as joyously as
though the English were not ten miles
away. Grave, awkward burghers rode up.
each in q cloud Of dust. and leaving Ills
ponv 10 wander in the street ard his rife
In 4 corner. shook HANDS with every one
solenrly and asked for coffee. Italians, OF
GaribaldTs red-shirted army, Swedes and
Danes in semiuriform. Frenchmen IN high
boots and great sombreros. Germans with
the saber cuts on their cheeks that had been
given them at the university. and Russian
officers smoking tiny cigarettes crowded the
little dinirg-room. and by the light OF
smoky lamp talked in many tongues OF
Spion Kop. Sannahspost. Fourteen Streams
and the battle on the morrow.
They were sun tanned. dusty. stained and
many of them with wounds in bandages.
They came from every capital OF Europe.
and as each took his turn around the
crowded table, they drank 10 the health Of
every nation save one. When they had
eaten they picked up the pony's bride from
the dust and melted into the moonlight
with a wave of the hand and a good luck
to you" There were no bugles to sound
''boots and saddles" for them. no Ser
geants TO keep them in hand. no officers to
pay for their rations and issue orders.
Each was his own officer. his conscience
was his bugle call; he gave himself orders.
They were all equal, all friends: the cow
boy and the Russian Prince. the French
Socialist from La Villette or Montmartre.
with a red sash around his velveteen
breeches. and the little French nobleman
from the Club Royal, who had never before
felt the sun, except when he had played
lawn tennis on the Isle de Puteaux. Each
had his bandolier and rifle; each was mind
ing his own business. which was the busi-
ness OF alto try and save the independ-
ence of a free people.
The presence Of these foreigners. with
rife IN hand. showed the sentiment and
sympathies OF the countries from which
they came, for while monarchs and Cabi-
nets may keep a nation from war they
cannot control the nations sympathies.
These men were Europe's real ambassa-
doris to the Republic OF the TransvaaL The
hundreds Of thousands OF their countrymen
who had remained at home held toward the
Boer the same feelings they did. but they
were not strongly moved toward him:
not strongly enough to feel that they must
20 abroad to fight for him.
These foreigners were not the exception
In opinion; they were only exceptionally
adventurous and liberty loving. They were
not soldiers OF fortune. for the soldier of
fortune fights for gain. These men receive
no pay, no emolument nor reward. They
were the few who dared do what the ma
5ority Of their countrymen in Europe
thought.
At Jones's Hotel that night. at Venters-
berg, 1t was as though a jury composed of
men from all Of Europe and the United