Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-05-10
TEST OF FRIENDSHIP.
Story Of the Matebele Rising in South
Africa.
IBy Colonel Il. ;. Badcn-Powcll. the hero of
Mafckinp


were making the best Of our way to re-
Join the Fort Salisbury column, which we
calculated to find at the upper drift Of /
the little hyatt river But our horses
were pretty we'll done and we were not
able to make the progress we had hoped.
Evening was already drawing on when
we found ourselves still some - or 10
miles from our point. And on that open,
rolling veldt, with nothing but the slight
track too guide one, we had agreed that
the safest way was not to try and push
ahead in the dark; SO, twilight being but
short cntr'actc here In Africa, George
and were already beginning to look for
suitable spot to make our bivouac for
the night.
Suddenly he exclaimed: Heavens!
There they are"
saw nothing. but he had eyes like
hawk and ! always trusted him to see
things. while | received his reports with
an nvariable calmnesS, which, | hattered
myself. couutcrhaanceG his usual i'm
! petuous, eager haste.
So on this occasion | merely remarked,
ITS rather case for 'hurrah' than
| heavens think
"You IDIOT" he replied. It's not the
column that | see; its lot Of niggcrs,
! hang them, Right in our path. too, wait
| ing for us Here, we had better get out
of this"
And as we wheeled our horses sharply
round several Matahele heads popped up
among the grass aud powders of the
rough ground over which we were then
traveling-much nearer to us than the
first that he had seen. We could even
| recognize the nature of their headdrcsSeS,
Of which there were two or three yarie-
ties, and hence we CLEANED that several
regiments lay close by.
And so we cantcred off with the idea Of
making a wide detour, to work round
their flank and to regain our road, if pos
sible, beyond them.
But in the meantime we meant to ascer-
tain all we could about their strength and
prohabltSntcntions.
There is something of delight in the
shock of surprise in coming suddenly
upon an enemy. 1t is in its way not I'M
like Il plunge into cold water and its in
MIGRATING after effects. For Il moment
the heart tixhtcns, and then from tired,
DRAGGING creature you are suddenly
transformed into a man endowed with a
fresh flow Of life and keenness. And in
acting men against men, there is an eX-
citemcnt such as transcends anything one
| feels when contouding with a mere wild
animal. for against you you have allied
all the cruelty and cunning of the beast
coupled with the human intelligence and
an aptitude for fighting rs great rs if not
greater than your own.
So it was with George and me. Put
on our mcttlc, our fatigues were forgot
ten and we proceeded with all alacrity
To investigate more nearly the enemy ;
disposition. But in doing So we soon
> saw enough to make us consult our own
present safety. At one point indeed we
nearly ran into party of them, who had
crcpt rapidly down donCa with the in
tcntion of cutting us off, but just in time
we viewed them. and as we wheeled
about and galopcd off we were saluted
q by a shower Of a>sagais. Luckily for VS.,
, we were just beyond their range. but
. the ringing CRATE and clattcr as they fell
: among the stones had an ugly sound,
I more so even than the banging of the few
! rifle shots whose bullets whistled high
r and harmless overhead. And lodging
in and out among the stones, we canter-
ed of, laughing at our escape while still
the same dropping shots were fired as in
salute.
was riding slightly in advance when
I suddenly | heard n crash behind me and
4 turning, saw poor Georges horse pitch
heavily forward on its head, half rolling
1 over on its rider. The final parting shot
G had struck il. Through the twilight
@ could see the agony in poor Georges face
: and eyes, and as the horse. in its convul
i sion, rolled back off him he tried to raise
j himself upon his hands, hut dropped
J. down flat, iuScnSlhlc.
turned back To him. slid from the sad
die. and. Hingiug the rcins over old Tou
Ions head. i'm moment | was on my
D.. To ~
a bad plight-hiS horse dead. shot through
the neck as il had turned to pass an AM
heap, and poor George himself injured L
" an extent which | only discovered when
on passing my arm between his legs t
raise him on TO my shoulders. | founC
him bleeding from a crushed and broker
q thigh.
As | approached my horse with n!
IT burden the old brute tossed up his heal
and, not liking my appearance, began
y for the first time in his life, to work anX
iously away from me. For n moment /
looked as if he would break into a tro
,, and then into a wild senseless cantcr
and my heart sank within me, but luck
IL lily the dragging reins caught under hi
feet and ierked him back to reason an,
" obedience. Shoudering my poor frien,
i. on to the pommel of the saddle so tina
N he lay face down across the wallets
ia mounted and headed away into the friend
ly darkness which was now gatherin
in over the veldt In spite Of the horror o
the situation | could not help for the me
Ia ment comparing it all to the fun know
=, as the "Zereba race" Gymkhana sports.
A few shots were fired as we cantere
~ laboriously away, and within Il minute
could hear the bloodthirsty "chuggu' or
'lt of the Matabele as they went to work o
the dead horse with their stabbing ass,
's gals. This, like carcass thrown I
wolves, most luckily delayed them an
gave me just the start | wanted, and nc
ed many minutes later we were wen beyon
pursuit
Die For an hour or more l steadily presse
along, keeping a straight course ava
from the enemy, and then, turning in II
No direction of the Southern Cross, whic
~ now was beaming bright athwart IL
sky, once more headed toward the pro-
able line of our main force.
no All this time poor George had pract
cally remained unconscious. Now al
again he would rouse himself and the
. with quiverng cry, fall back into lin
insensibility.
had refined into n walk and had 6
MS him more comfortably rested in my arm
when consciousness at length returned
'"' him, but his anguish was evidently u
lll bearable. His former sick insensibili