The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-20
GOssIPING UNDER FIRE.


The London Daily Mail of May prints a
etter from Lady Sarah Wilson, dated
Mafeking, March 1, in which she relates
some of the incidents of the siege. "a curl
Gus fact" she says, "as regards shell fire
seems to me to be that the nearer you are
to these terrible explosions the less likely
you are to be injured. short of the shell
striking you before bursting. An instance
of this occurred not long ago. Two of the
staff were in the chemists shop In the
market square; big shell burst immedi-
ately outside; most of ii came through the
window and went out at the roof; the four
persons standing at the counter were unin-
jured, but white man and a niger about
hundred yards away were both cut in
half and died on the spot. I certainly do
not think any one here wishes to be under
shell fire again under similar circum-
stances, and yet 1t has its funny incidents.
"It often occurs to me how comic the
scene would be to any aeronaut lowering
over the town towards evening. After a
heavy days Smelling, when the sun is about
setting, the owners of the various bomb
proofs emerge and sit on the steps or the
sandbags of their shelters. conversing with
their neighbors and discussing the occur
rences of the day. All of a sudden tinkle
goes the bell, and down go all the heads.
just as one has often seen rabbits of a
summer evening disappear into their holes
at the report of gun. In a few minutes
the explosion is over, and UP they come
again to see what damage has been done
by the last missile.
''Then twilight falls on the scene, and the
time between sunset and moonrise, star
light or inky blackness, as the case may be-
according TO the moon and the weather is,
without doubt. the pleasantest half hour in
the whole day. AS rule ii is peaceful
interval as regards shelling-herds of mules
are driven along the dusty streets to be
watered, cattle and goats return from the
veldt, where they have been grazing dur
ing the day much out of sight as pos
sible, and women scurry along the side
walks, skirtfng the houses, intent on lit
tie evening shopping. Then, when twilight
has completely faded, all who can take
cruelty, the night gun, which can only be
intended TO alarm and to irritate, after this
length of time.
There is a general feeling of relief when
Crete, has doomed her goodnight which
lately. however. has been supplemented by
prolonged volleyfng from the Boer trenches,
to which our men never make any reply.
and the cause of which is difficult to ex-
in case we mediate an attack
''By 10 this uproar is generally over, and
bullets have ceased TO fall. Soon after,
nearly every soul not on watch IL sleeping
secure in the feeling that for every one
who reposes a comrade keeps vigil, while
the colonefs watchful eye seems over all
and from his frequent and unexpected ap-
pearances at the various redoubts at all
hours of the night and early morning, the
men realize he well deserves the name the
Matabele gave him of Tmpesa'i. G., 1.-THE
wolf who walks by night
In another part of her letter Lady Wilson
says: II happened to meet the mayor, hur-
rying along with a smiling face. This gen.
tleman has all the responsibility of the
ladies' (mostly Dutch> in the laager. and
has looked very careworn lately. There
will be no grumbling I'm the town about
rations now he said: but I expect the
lager will be very quiet. And so under
stand II has proved. The ladies. who the
other day got up petition TO General Sny-
them, his compatriots, and who. though
they have been fed and housed by her
Majesty's government, have been at small
pains 20 conceal their hatred OF the Eng
lish. and have not even scrupled TO show
their joy when any of the Boer shells ex-
these ladies' who seem to have lost their
sense OF humanity. now sit silent and glum.
and we are beginning to hope their day of
rejoicing Is over
FOR some weeks past native rumors
have all tended the same way-that the
Beers were being defeated and were losing
heart; but II We had believed yarns OF this
six times. there have been no less than
four battles on the vaal river. while ten
or twelve separate relieving columns have
been reported - advancing here Mean