The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-10-03
HIS S'FOURTEEN DAYS"
ny nASIL c. D,EAsUM.

of "rustling" Other men might be hungry,
but not 50 Nettle ii there was anything eat
able to be borrowed from Bocr. His OBJ
jects in volunteering Tor service in South
Africa were to see the country and have a
good tmefghting the l'oer, came under
the head OF having good time. VI army
discipline he knew nothing and cared stlll
less "derued foolishncss, he called 1t,
which ii is to certain extent.
The Canadian mounted rifles We're made
up OF Northwest mounted police and plains
men, all being men accustomed TO the Tree
and easy ways OF northwestern Canada.
The officers did not hold the line OF discl'
pline SO tightly as was done by the officers
OF the regular corps
SO Nettle continued to live on the enc
mys country and to have good time,
Occasionally, on the march to Pretorn,
he would wander away from the column and
rejoln the regnent day or two later, with
his horse bris,ling with chickens and geese,
and his wallet stuffed full OF little articles
which he had picked up at some Du'ch
farmhouse. Very wrong, OF course, and
likely to get man into trouble. but, as
the {. NJ. Il. were then on the march, there
were no opportunities for holding orderly
room courts, and. consequently, Netiia
did not get the attention he would have re
ceieved for missing his turn at nlghtguard
or other special duties,
His troop scrgeants would probably curse
him hucnty for the extra trouble he gave
them, but he generally saw the policy OF
sharing some OF his spos with them.
The regiment, soon otter reaching Middel'
burg, in the eastern Transvaal, was en-
camped for few weeks and employed IN
patrollng the district Camp guards and
other duties had to be performed, and mill.
tary discipline was more strictly. enforced
than when Oh the march.
All this was very irksome to Nette, and
no one was surprised to hear that he was
missing one evening when he should have
taken his turn at stable picket IN the horse
lines. That day he had been on patrol
with some men OF his troop, and was last
seen when riding in the direction of farm
house which was dangerously close TO the
Boer lines. But danger never troubled Net
tie il there was any prospect OF getting loot
For was there not an occasion when he went
| through the Boer lines and had his horse
; shot, but managed to replace it with one
| from the enemy, together with several TINS
of aardiues, Dutch Bible, two bottles OF
"Dop' (nativc brandy, and a mISceIlane
| Gus collection OF poultry?
There were many imitators OF his forag.
| ing raGS in the ranks OF the Canadian
| mounted rifles, aud the matter was hecom.
| ing too notorious Therefore, this night,
| when Trooper Netta was absent IRON guard
mounting, the sergeant, instead Of detail
| ing some other man for the vacant post, re.
| ported the fact to ,hc regImental sergeant.
! major. and the T. 5, NJ, to the aljutlnt VINO
! gave orders that Nettle should be put un.
! der arrest next day and brought to order
| ly room
The next day Tom did not appear nor the
following day,
On the afternoon Of the fi'tn day little
procession was seen coming toward the
camp FIRST came a big buck wagon, a
Boer transport wagon, drawn by IA oxen,
! two kAtiir drivers running at the side and
vigorously cracking their long whips, Then
came a Cape cart. laden with household
goods. aud drawn by two mules which were
driven by grlnning kaF And, last Of all,
came the missing trooper Aett!e, riding a
tnr l'ocr pony.
Nettle turned hs outfit over 10 the trans.
pot' Officers aud came to the lines ot the {.
NJ Il Here n~ wa, met with the news that
he was 10 consider himself under arrest for
beng absent without leave He wa also
told ,hat he would have TO go mp before tho
colonel On the morrow He did not let TINS
worry him. for he telt sure that his capture
of TIE oxen and wagon would speak IN his
favor
lie had come upon Boer farmhouse
whrh had been let IN charge OF some katln
servants The honsr was well supplied with
many comforts and Nette made himself
very much at home for five days making the
kui!ir, obey his orders At last fearing that
his reg ,meut m. ght nave moved from NJ MidIe
burg. he told the katiirs TO hitch the oxen
to the wagon. loaded the Cape cart with a
few things which lie thought might be use
full, took Boer pony and started for camp
There was big band Of cattle close to The
farmhouse. and Nel<e regretted that he
, was not able to d 1t towards the camp
However he hsV brought good supply
of catables and his chuns had a great feast
that night, many Of them freely expressing
the opinion that the capture Of the oxen anc
wagon would whl'ewash Nettle from any
trouble in the orderly room.
lie had no stripes. so he could not be re
durpd TO the ranks. The only punishment
then. could he "C. b, which III mIltar,
matters means confined in the barracks
and other small penalties which are ncIud
ed IN the sentence AS We were on actlv'
service and not living II barracks, 't b.
was interpreted TO mean the doing OF extr;
) .fatiGucs,' such as cleaning the camp ant
horse lines. and in spare moments, the dig
ging OF refuse pits,
This last task was hard work under th
ho: African sun: Nrttle felt confident tina
@ that fate would not be his.
Digging refuse pts seemed an impossible
, ity; indeed, he pictured himself RECEIVING
;, hand shake from the colonel
- That officer was sitting very straight il
!. his char at the table OF justice when tn
! rrSimental sergeant major marched to tn
| door OF the tent aud saluted, Trooper Net
I tie standing at attention outside.
I "Give ne your hat, sad the regImcn'l
u to Nettle, three strps forward, Qhr
march
., "What Is the charge sergeant major?
:, sad the colonel
"kl.ru, Tor Myr iIys without leave, sir.
"W0lt bay" you to say 'lroupct Nc'tIc?
inquired IN" colonel
Then NwtIe told hi. little tale, ,altjn
care to enlarge upon the capture Of tn
10 wagon and oxen, and ais, trying to let tn
u colonel see that hi. feelings were somewhd
ii' hut At beng placed under arrest or rharge
h., with any oiien>e at all
d The colonel listened patiently 10 the end
r: then he said; Fourteen dayst b.
'' Poor N,lic looked at him for monen
~ wita w.de open eyes. but, sn, he stan
II nereA, Il brought III II oxen
,y "ExarDIy," .aid the colonel, with a grir
N smile ''pnv day for each OK
,r Two days later spoke TO him as he W.
I'd digging d refuse pit in terribly rocky srounc
- 1t was very, very not.
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