The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-04-26

,.,..
We had been "Nl on Il TWO DAYS recon-
nolssance' "eorgt DaFpejt ana l. ana
We're making the best OF oar way to re-
Join the Fort Salisbury column, which we
calculated 10 find at the upper drift of
the little Iuvati river. But our horses
were pretty We'll done and we were NOT
able fl mako tha lr,.,rcSS we had honed
Eyeuin., q,9s already draXyiu., ON when
we found ourselves still some II or II i
miles from nIr point. And ON that onen
rolling velit. with nothing but the slight |
track too guide one. We had agreed that |
the safest way WAS not TO try and nush
ahead in the dark: So. twilight being but |
a short cntr'acte here in Africa. George
and were alreadv beginning TO look for
q suitable spot to make our bivouac for
the night.
Suddenly he eXclaimed: Heavens,
There they are"
| saw nothing hut he had eyes like a
hawk. and | always trusted him to see
things. while | received his reports with
an invariablc calmness. which. | nattercd
myself, countcrbaIanced 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; it's Il 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 Matabcle heads popped up
among the grass and powders of the
rough ground over which we were then
traveng-nuch 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 varie.
ties. and hence we cleaned that several
regiments lay close by.
And so we cantered off with the idea of
making wide detour, to work round
their flank and to regain our road, if pos
sble, beyond them.
But in the meantime we meant to ascer-
tain all we could about their strength and
probable intentions.
There is something of delight in the
shock of surprise in coming suddenly
upon an enemy. 1t is in its way not un.
like plunge into cold water and its in
MIGRATING after effects. For a moment
the heart tightens. and then from tired
dragging creature you are suddenly
transformed into a man endowed with a
fresh flow of life and kecnness. And in
acting men against men, there is an ex-
citement such as transcends anything one
feels when contending with 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 lighting as great as If not
greater than your own.
So it was with George and me. Put
on our mettle, our fatgues were forgot
ten, and we proceeded with all alacrity
TO investigate more nearly the enemy :
disposition. But IN dong SO we soon
saw enough to make us consult our Own
present safety. At one point indeed we
nearly ran INTO a party OF Them who mad
crept rapidly down don with the in
tentlon OF cutting us OIL Just IN time
We viewed them ana we wheeled
ABOUT ana gaIloped on w We're saluted
DF shower OF aSsaSals. LuchiIy Tor US
W. We Mele Jusl oeSonu tnelr railSe' ou II
tre t'l7.I7 slut anu J''''el as lLe! zen
rrAll- '''o .I'i i''' an uH's s"unu
Ia. -, II % 'iie y"
81 h s,,o "''ose Iu,'1'S Wn' } u!Sn
anu n"Il'l'sS oNeIHcau' ANU uodSlhS
IN and out among the stones, we canter-
ed OIL laughing Mt our escape while still
the same drupping shots were fired rs in
Ialute
was ridi,,o SLIGHTLY in odvonco whom
suddonlv hoard = crash bnhinJ mo and
turning cav moor Coor,,o,, b,rln ,,;t.I,
.uiiiiu-' N"" Pool HeoiEeS morse litch
~ ~ " Vn - ne"U' H"'! lolnHS