New-York tribune., 1900-04-22

cannot stampede If frightened by anything unless
lhey climb the rocky heights on either side of them
katir nerdsnen sleep the hills above them
atV5ng "a plLched ms Iaager the commander sends
pace they call ''trihe'-a gait which all the
Beers educate their nags to adopt. Il is not ex-
actly an ambe, but cousin TO II. marvellously
easy to the rider. while II enables the nag get
II also allows the horse TO pick his way among
lAl. lH'lan IAN or australian morse would be apt 20
cripple himself in short order As soon the
little Mauser rifles in their ri5f1r sv.ai5e- 80
riders the world over, the foot scouts take up their
in front and OF the laager. Each scout has
ms RIG ~ MS hand his pipe in mis- teeth. his
ms scanty blanket under his left arm. No fear Of
not for pay: for home. for glory and he knows
mar on ms acuteness the lives Of all may depend.
soldiers ever did 10 mater how r{Ted ne MAJ m & ba
no matter now famsheG, the Boer sentinel is
faithess 70 his orders.
When The scouts are out the lager is fixed for
ne night, not a very exhaustive proceeding
he Beers do not 20 II for luxuTies Of any kind
t1tIt Jarpaunn Is stretched over a kind of tenn
porary ridge pole. blankets tossed down on the
couch is complete. a little way further down the
line rude screen is thrown ov r the wheels
while rHe single men simp t7royr M y o.
mi enprb On t5n a-oIIII -,- a.
small blanket round them. and smoke and jest
and make the coffee.
There Is scarcely timber n of
AFRICA and the fuel used is the dried manure Of
cattle pressed into slabs about fifteen inches long
smoke from the fires is dense and soon dis the
air with a punSeDt OdoT. which is not unpleasant
meal begins II consiets % ~ firg tilg me SlIIls
bread baked until it becomes crisp and hard and
plenty OF sIeaming not coffee I saw any
people so fond Of this beverage as the Beers are
The Australian bushman and digger loves tea, and
an Almost exist upon 1t, but these Beers cling
one. Iley lEe when out In laager like Spartans.
L1ey dress any2ow. sleep anyhow; and eat just
my and his hard times, Why. private soIdie~
al the front sleeps better dresses better eats
peter man Boer general yer never once did I
After iegT fes t6e G9Pan Raa1z Of Fl har6ehp@ 6of,
rifles the women move from little group to
another. chatting cheerfully, but / saw nothing in
one Of them that would cause the most chaste
I-..lTon IN Great Britain TO blush or droop her
what term soldierly discipline: men moved
just as 1 have seen them do "a thousand times in
diggersl camps There was no saiuung of officers.
mouth. no one pays him any special defere1ce IL.
talks the men the striplings and the women and
they talk back 10 him in q manner which
military camps After The chatting the bridikaut
or pafsoh mere Is one III ne laager- raises his
man Of God utters few words in q solemn earnest
the skies. and a few moments later the whole camp
is wrapped in steep nothing is heard but the neigh
is nc clatter of arms no ringing Of bnglas no
deep toned challenge Of sentries. no football of
changing piCkets
4 regular intervals rise silently the
ranks OF the sleepers. pick up their rifles noise
lessy and silently. Ike ghosts slip into the
deep shadows Of the kOpjes, and other equally
silent. glide in from posts they have been guard
ing and stretch themselves snatch slunber
while they may At dawn the men toss their
blankets aside and spring up ready dressed and
among their horses. the kaffirs attend the
mOrrfing meal the everlasting rlsks and coffee
served horses Saddled cattle yORed
wa gons and in the twinkling Of eve the camp is
broken up. and the Irregular army IS the march
again. with scouts guarding every pass in front
scouts watching themselves unseenb on every
height.
They travel fast. because they travel light; they
very little water, because they hnd IL impossi-
bic o move from place 10 place. Many critics
charge them with habits OF personal unceauness
Il is true that their laagers one does not
much SOAP and water used in our camps. bur
this possibly due want OF opportunity as much
TO want OF inclination. IN sanitary matters
any Of their laagers nor do think they are in
the ahit Of making them. and 20 this cause and
no other I attribute the large amount Of fever in
their ranks They do not seem 10 understand the
first principles OF the laws Of sanitation. and had
this season been wet instead OF q peculiarly drN
I assert that typFold fever would
have wrought far havoc among them than
I saw no literature in the Iaagers except Bibles
7 witnessed no sports OF any kind. and the only
snort I heard them ia about horse racing
auarrellinz or pickering and can only say from my
slight acquaintance with life IN n Boer a3ger IN
war time that may be rough. II may 9e trksome
NAV fastidously clean as a feii tleT btd
tougher rougher places. and never heard any one
about IL
Sprockett-After ALL there's nothing that can
come up 10 bicycling. II IS always good run and
Handel Earrs-Yes as far as it goes there is