The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-04-07

christened Fort Mary, in honor of Mrs.
| Long, and Father Walsh, Roman
Catholic priest who had elected to
cast in his lot with the little garrison,
formally blessed it.
An envoy from the Beers, Dietrich
Muller, appeared, on the 9th OF De-
cember, with proposal that the gar
| rison should surrender and accept
safe-conduct into Natal. His surprise
at the youthful appearance of the
/ commandment of the fort was great.
"Dat younkerI' he exclaimed in con-
| tempt. But ''dat younker" was not
so green as Mr.. Muller imagined. He
suggested writing to Pretoria for in
structions. Muller. consented, and
Lieutenant Long thus cleyerly gained
delay of five days, which he utilized
in very materially Strengthening his
defences.
On the 4th of January the Beers
appeared in force, some 700 OF them,
and formally demanded surrender OF
the fort. to which summons the young
subaltern returned the spirited reply:
'Tt is inconsistent with my duty as
soldier to surrender my trust. An
urgent appeal was once more made by
Mrs. Longs friends in the town to
induce her to quit the fort and take
up her residence in one OF the many
homes placed at her disposal. But she
, stoutly refused.
Two days afterwards the attack COM
menced. For three hours and half
r 700 Beers kept up continuous rifle
, fire upon the little fort at a range OF
, 500 yards. In her own charmingly
| modest and simple narrative, Mrs.
| Long thus describes her feelings when
she first found herself under fire:
t sI must humbly confess that dur
ing the first hour of the firing / was
dreadfully frightened, and took refuge
under table, for its imaginary shell.
d ter. Father Walsh. entering the hut
at that moment, with his b.eviary II
his hand, to look for me, and not find
10 ing me, as he expected, called me.
lifted the table cover aud poked m,
f head out, saying, Here am, Father!
+. NV position struck me as SO ludlcrou'
r. that burst into hearty fit OF laugh
q ter. Not till p. m. was l able to as
certain that, Notwithstanding the ter
a rible fire of the last four hours, not
!. man had been wounded. My hus
At band, knowing how anxious l shoult
:. be as to his safety, looked in as Otter
lie as he could to cheer me-"
in But she very soon overcame thes
a. natural terrors, and got so used to tn
q firing. even when the Beers brought
w couple of cannon to bear on the fort
IN that she frequently sleptright throug
or the cannonad
no What with tending the sick an
a. wounded, and making sandbags, some
N. times turning out as many as fou
nd dozen of them in day, Mrs. Long
he time was fully occupied. Think {
a her there, one woman, little more tina
90 a girl, alone among 60 men fightin
nv for their lives against ten times the
r. number! What wonder that the me
r.. fought like heroes with this daintil
,lf bred England lady sharing all the
dangers and setting them an examp
no of patience and courage and Cheerful
lie ness. She admitted that at first 81
nit felt the absence of any of her own 81
IN keenly. But the soldiers were SO d
40. 70 ed to her, so delicate in their sole
mo tude and consideration for her, til
Ter she soon lost the sense of LONELINESS
am. One day strange messenger a
ON rived. a little black-and-tan tefrle
RIM with a piece of paper folded in II
mt tied round its neck. 1t was comm
/ or nication from some friendly townsfo
Iba informing them that the Beers We
om ouarreling among themselves, furio
to with Dietrich Muller for being su
,cb a fool as to allow the English tho
;no five DAYS to complete their defenc'
,rt. and adding, as hint, that the defen
ow. ers of the fort were firing too high
: a which hint, need hardly say, "
lich quickly taken.
SEES The garrison had nothing in
silly shape of gun with which to meet
lus- FIRE of the two-pounders that the Boz
had in position. But one day NJ
he Long suggested to one OF the ar
= 80 service men that the monkey" of
ds. Abyssinian pump which they |
! a. might perhaps be utilized. The i
sn,- was promptly seized upon and ing
,am iousiy carried into execution; and
], ~, Boers we're very much amazed whe
~ cylindrical shot weighing two poul
IA. six ounces, formed Of round crow
,slv ;ron cased in lead, came crashing
80 among them. Mrs. Longs gun, =
W. Il IVES chriatAnsd. proved very "