The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-05
rhc rn,hos of the Boer War.


Something Of the spirit in which the
Beers are fighting can be seen from the
follo0ing story. told by the Australian
journalist. Mr.. Iiales The conversation
took place wnen he was prisoner in The
narls Of the Beers.
" What 90 you fellows think of Austral-
iaus as fighters?'
4 asked the question carelessly. but tie
answer that / got brought me TO my ar
ings quickly. for then / learned that more
than one gallant Australian officer dear to
me had fallen, never to rise again, sin e
l had been taken prisoner The man wto
spoke was little more tlau a lad a pa e.
faced. slenderIy- built son Of the veIdt He
had tangled curly hair ard big pathetic
blue eyes, soft as a girls. and limbs II at
lacked the rugged strength OF the old Boer
stock, but there was that nameless sOTe-
thing, that indefinable expression in his
face which warranted him a brave man.
He carried one arm in a sling, and the
baudage round his neck hid bullet wound.
The Australians can fight he said
simply. They wounded me, and-they
killed my father Perhaps it was the
wind signing through the hospital trees
that made the Boer lads voice grow
strangely husky; possibly the same cause
filled the blue eyes with unshed tears.
1t was in fair fight, lad. l said gently;
il was the fortune of war.
Yes he murmured it was in fair
fight an awful fight hope I'll never look
upon another like it. Damn the fighting
he broke out fercely. Damn the fighting
don't hate you Australians. ! didn't
want to kill any OF them. My father had
no ill-wil to them nor they TO him. vet
he is out there-Out there between two
great kopjes-where the wind always blows
cold and dreary at night time The Iaddie
shuddered. 1t makes a man doubt the love
OF the Christ he said. My father was a
good man kind man. who never turned
the stranger empty handed from his door:
even the Kaffrs on the farm loved him.
and now he Is lying where no one can weep |
over his grace We piled great rocks on his |
grave My cousin and buried him We !
had no shOvels; We scOoped a hole in the !
hard earth as well as We could. long shall /
low hole and We laid him in it. | took his |
head and Cousin Gustave carried his feet;
We folded his hands on his breast laid his |
old rifle by his side because he had always !
loved that gun and never used any other |
when out hunting. Then pushed the /
earth in on him gently with our hands /
breaking he hard Jumps up and Crumblug |
hem in or palms so that they should not !
1ruise his poor flesh. He had always been
so kind. We could not hurt him even
hough we knew he was dead. for he had
been gentle to all OF us in life even the
,ows and oxen at home loved hm-and 3.
now who Will go back and tell mother and
title Yacoba that he is dead: that he will
'ome to them no more? Oh. damn the |
var the lad called again in his pain 1
lOn't llnow-only God knoWs-whicb sidA |
5 right or wrong but 7 DO know that the
urse of the Christ will rest on the heads
# those who have made this war for am
,itiOn's sake or the greed of gold and the
rood God will not let the widow and the
rphan child go unavengsd blood will vet
peak for blood. and il must rest either on
he heads Of Kruger and Steyn or Cham
.erlaln and Rhodes.