The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1901-07-12
BORER WAR STORIES.

nous irish brigade. formerly special
correspondent of Golfers Weekly
with the Boer army, in forthcoming
book relates the following anecdotes {:
The best of the Beers fired not only
very accurately, but very quickly,
and l have known burgher to bring
down soldier, firing while sitting in
the saddle, while holding the rife with
one hand and the bride with the
| other.
As to recovery from wounds, I can
cite some curious cases. One burgher
recovered after a Lee-Metford bullet
had gone clean through his BRAIN,
entering at one side of the head and
passing cut at the other. knew
another case in which this happened,
and where the patient, an Irishman;
had got on so we'll that he used to
stroll about the streets OF Pretoria, or
even dance a jig. He got into a
drinking bout, however, one day, and
that was the beginning of the end.
l saw man whose jaw was smash
ed in three places, but who soon re-
covered. I knew another whose leg was
80 badly shattered that it had to be
amputated subsequently, but who sat
stolidly loading his Mauser and blaz-
ing away at the enemy. One of the
most curious cases l know of, however
was that of man who received bull
let in the middle of the forehead. By
happy combination Of the thickness
of the skull and the inclination of the
bullet, the missile did not enter the
mans brain, but circled round his
head to the point of original impact,
scoring off skin and hair in its passage
and so furnishing him with crown
more curious and more durable than
laurel.
Another curious member of my
brigade was mad artist. He used
to spend his spare time drawing, with
various colored chalks, the most ex-
traordinary pictures l ever saw, filled
with fantastic imagination. He
used to prize these productions enor-
mously, and l believe he thought that
one day they would bring him fame
Now on certain occasion my brigade
occupied an exposed position, and it
was intended to make stand. Subse-
quently range OF hills further west
ward was selected as better line, and
my troops were left high and dry, and
the English in vast force were COM
ing rapidly on. Receiving the order
to retreat, we soon had everything in
readiness, and I was about to mount
my horse. The shells were already
falling about US, and some rifle prac-
tice bad taken place and some men
had been killed. Just at that critical
moment my mad artist sailed from
under wagon and came up to me.
He was calmly Indifferent to she'll and
bullet. In his hand lie held strange
cartoon.
"Colonel," he said, ~ hope you will
Elike that one"
lie also later paid the forfeit Of his
innocent but dauntless courage.
The cheerist individuals about the
lager were the Kaffir boys. They
were virtually slaves, though We did
not call them so. We '.commandeer-
ed" them, We did not pay them, and
that for good reason, viz, that
contrary to what has been said, none
of our men were merccnaries. Neither
1 nor, of course, any of the troopers
received or asked a penny of pay.
Therefore, I did not pay my Kaffirs,
of whom | had about a score to do
the mental work of the camp and to
look after my horses and those of my
officers. Now there is something in
the black-at least in those climes-
that make him content to be a slave.
Service implies protection, and that is
condition he perfectly appreciates.
One of my boys, Pete, was black
hero. He would go through anything
fighting Cot course in passive way
but that is most difficult triaD, IA
.igue, hunger and thirst; yet he would
never utter word or give a sign Of
complaint On the whole, he liked
fighting best, for he was of one of the
tribes of Zulus.
would like to give chapter on
Pete, but l will now mention only one
curious detail. He told me the real
meaning of the word "impi," usually
employed by war correspondents, who
want to show how deep they have
gone, as equivalent to horde, or troop
or "commado' Of kaf1irs. l asked
Pete what it meant. He opened wide
his mouth and showed his ivory teeth;
his yellow eyes opened also with won
der and rolled in their sockets. and he
laughed. "Impi," said he. with deed
thick utterance, "that is WAR" And
the way Pete brought ont the word
War made me feel that Impi or War
to Pete was the consummation of every
thing that made life terrible, and yet
all that made life worth living.
Binley -Skinfint says you have
only to give in order to make
friends.
Finley-Ah! l suppose that ex-
plains his having so few.