The sun., 1900-07-22
A GHOST UP ON A KOPJE.
CAPT. sam HICkS'S HUNT FOR A
BOER'S SKIN IN SOUTH AFRICA.

| Scouting Expedition Of Cowpunchsr with q
| British Oaiccr Who Was y Dead Game
| sport-Bocr Tactics That Reminded Capt.
| Hicks Of the GuadrIoupe Mountains
Capt. Sam Hicks ohe-ttme oowpuncher and
Texas ranger. passed through New York the
other day on his way home from an extended
tour with a small, half-headed bullet hole In
his right chest. That Il 10 say. the front end
Of the hole was in his right chest. tho scar end
was somewhere In tho neighborhood Of his
corresponding shoulder blade. Capt. Hicks
spent the summer OF 1895 with his personal
friend Theodore Roosevelt and others. pic
picins In Cuba. Later he Joined Gen. Butler
b South Africa by special Invitation. Ths
bullet hole above mentioned Is q souvenir
I Of this last sojourn. II In no way fnterferes
with the veracious relation Of tho Captains
| experiences.
The blamedest time had durin' the whole
outfit" says the Captain. was with one Of
them Boer videttes down there near the Tueea
J River. when Butler was tryfn' 10 find good
| easy wagon tran up to Ladysmith. They had
me detailed on special scout duty because
was foxy enough to know there was Boer
behind a rock when he shot at me. English
scouts have to see the Boer before they're
sure. Ono day they sent detachment Of some
dozen Of US across the river in command Of
q little tenderfoot officer. He couldn't been
! more'n bout 10 years old. had to grin 10
SEQ the style the little fellow put on and the
short talk he gave men old enough to be his
grandpapas.
1T being such a hot day says to one Of
the troopers. its kinder tough 10 have a kid
along
But the trooper SAYS: Don't you be too
,i.~, A. - ~l.~s
to be hovercome by no 'eat. e amt
Il want to say right here that trooper knew
what he was talking about. That little of Ger
boy was a dead game sport.
I'VE worked out bout nine miles that morn
ing, on some tip the little Officer had from head
quarters. without seem no sign Of Boer,
till jes' as we halted for grub bout noon at
oe foot Of a little kopje. was loosenin' the
girths OF my mare. and the Lieutenant was
sittin' in the shade Of big boulder maxim
notes in a book when phutl Mauser bullet
kicked up the dust right at his feet. He gets
up and shades his eyes with his hand, but he
couldn't see anything. There was sortar
broken, rocky country fer half mile in front
Of US and beyond that row Of kopjes stretchin'
down fer another half mile or 30. most likely
to the bed OF some stream.
Lead your horses under cover, men,
says the little Lieutenant. Well wait min
uto and SEQ what them chaps think they're
DOM
Then he got out his field glass and watched
the kopjes while he eat. Purity soon. zip comes
another bullet and knocks Off a chunk of rock
lonESde his head.
It's quite annoyn he says, 'seln' = how
| wanted 10 have look at the country from
the top of that there tumylus after luncheon,
and moves roundto the other side OF tho boulder
the rest OF Us was layin' low waitin' fer the
Bocr 10 show hissef. bur he wasn't so easy.
Purity soon the Lieutenant sits mp, dustin
the crumbs OF his trousers and calls the corpo-
raj
Mccoy he says to the Corporal. The
Corporal come mp and sluted Then he took
long breath and Slid down in his tracks like a
bag Of sand. We pulled HIM further round
the boulder and looked him over II, wasn't
hurt much a Mapser bullet had jes ploughcd
a furgow crost the top of his scalp and Knocked
him silly fer a while
The bcgEar's got our range nicely says
the Lieutenant pickn' up his glass and steppin'
out TO one side 10 get a clear view. The Teller
up on the kopje didn't lose no time droppin'
bullets all round him.
This business of squintin' through a spy
glass and mnkin' target practice for that
blamed Boer begin TO give me the staegers
what you Roin' do about it?' ast him
'Judgin' from his fire, SAYS the Officer
bov, there's only one Of em. Well have to
depoy and drive i'm in
'Deploy nothing. snys. He'll pick your
men OF like chickens. Gimme two hours and
I'll crawl out and bring in his skin
The Lieutenant made face and grabbed
holt Of hi left elbow.
Any more slcn langwidge and you 20 back
~ camp under arrest he says. Otherwise
your suggestion amt bad. You may go out
Then he went over and sat down o1i7 behind
the rock and motioLed 'em to cut away his
tesys sS. Blamed atTSd if anSthsr ether Meg.er bullet
didn't lose no time sneakln'' out to the left
when 1t looked as though I'd have the most
cover up to the EopJe, i9g bet ! needed all
snaked along on my belly and par Of the way
ducled and run fer IT, but every time showed
go much as lock ofhar that Bo-r had a try
low hopln' he'd be- careless, but he knew his
business Ike an Apaohe buck. The party
the Boer little bit. 1t was hot work crawlln'
ihs sa3 ,oorolin' the hair OF a man man tn. thf.oaSh ugh
"By'n' By struck the foot Of the beer Sopje SSj
and begin Torkin qp: IT wasn't ridin' in no
elevator. crawied clean around that kopje
three times before l got halfway to the top,
that cussed BotT droppin' his billy ducks round
lne every pot OF the way. I'd forgot all bout
how I'd come ont TO GIT his skin fer souvenir
Ter the little of cer-l was too busy. fgeerin
out how to keep my own from glhin' plugged
full Of holes You kin believe. ! was feeling
Apaches In my time-to be KEEP kiokin round
like heifer yearlng on the end Of rope.
Must n been bout S o'clock when begin
TO get well up the kopje Id been some 'eres
bout four hours from the foot Durin' the
past haf-hour or so it had been so quiet up
where the Boer had been oavortin' round that
begin 10 git nerv oous. 80 purity soon squat
ted behind big boulder and waited Yer him
a sound. sound Finally crawled over to Ike Tie FAR FAR
side Of the boulder and stuck my eye out
didn't keep il there long. bullet come so
close II took Inc fifteen minutes diggp splinters
and dust out OF my eyes before could see again,
The Boer was layin up there not seventy-fve |
yards of. l saws to myself right there that |
Id stay up on that kopJe all night, put I'd bore
some holes In his hide, ] didn't make no Quee- |
ton; be took me fer one Of them soft-ineat |
English scouts. |
Purity soon hear him begin crswlin' round. |
You're trying 70 uncover me, old sport |
rays. are YOU? Well. know that game down |
TO the ground
Il clipped back ten yards and over to the |
as a pebble, The Boer was sippin round |
bout as quiet rs bunch Of steers on wooden |
bridge. I begin to feel better. Some things /
bout the game you haven't got down fine yet. |
oi hoss' says. It's too bad for In q couple |
of minutes You'll show Yourself and I'll have