Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-07-18


ing firing, dying, along the crest or the
mountains, that one who was present
will think when he hears the battle or |
Spion Kop mentioned in after days.
Buller's first march from the Tugela
toward Ladysmith seemed to be clean
sweep of Beers from his track. Finally
the British came In front of rank or
mountain spurs separated by oarK
gorges. The field was in form of cres-
cent, with Spion kop at one horn. BACK
Of all this, on high ground. lay the main
boer position. a.s~-~-~->-.----~ 'i0
ridge the Beers held with few men
and made no show of resistance when
the British rushed them. This enabled
Butler to send home dispatches Of his
marvellous victories in driving the
Beers from key positions one after an
other.
General Hart's brigade rushed two
gorges on Saturday, the goth, but when
his men were hurled forward Of the
crest line upon the open ground lead-
ing back to the Boer defenses on the
distant ridge the willy burghers showed
that they were not asleep, neither n.y.
ing before Buffers army. Great guns
and Mausers began to volley bullets
and shrapnel, and the British rested
that night with sore knuckles and shins,
thankful that they still held the crest
lines of the ridge. Between the lines
the tall grass had been fired by shells,
and the British in their soaked khaki
looked at the warm glow with envy, al
though the rumor sped along the line
that some Beers had been caught In
the fire and were burning up beyond
the reach of help. Next morning was
Sunday, and Hilyard's brigade rushed
a third gorge, adding another spur to
the British captures, and all the army
began to crow over the victories which
later turned out valueless.
In all these movements the British
held their breath, gripped their wea-
pons for death struggles, used up their
nerve and vigor fighting men of straw,
all with tremendous show of energy
and valor. The Beers played good
game. They let no chance slip to rake
the British advancing lines with shrap-
mel and often moved down the ranks
in heaps. Really the British died count
less deaths in Imagination.
\ luIl followed one terrible outburst
Of Boer fire poured into some Of the
Queens and Yorkshire regiments who
tried to rush over the naked fiat.
'It was Of short DURATION" says the anonymous
writer whose story in Blackwood's is the basis Of
thT @ os snt n f d hEoh s tie tsd o FSf s.
fire. from behind low sangers, big powders, from
little depressions. sometimes dying away in portions
Of the line, sometimes redoubling in intensity
throughout itslength as ifby common impulse. Now
and then a company would top the orchestra with
rhythmic yolleys while thousands OF free lances
on either side stsid their hands for moment as
if to listen; then the independent firing would re-
commence, rife by rife until the rhythm Of the
volley was drowned in the tremendous rattle
then two or three Maxms would chime In, and
the whole ridge resounded from end to end. peak
calling TO peak, ravine to rayine.
at to this crashing accompaniment Of mus
kerry that the writer's battalion moved forward
late in the afternoon to relieve q regiment upon
the crest line. A shell or two wide Of the mark
and a sprinkling Of bullets dropping almost per-
pendiculary were all the notice taken OF our un-
seen but doubtless signaled advance. Evening
was Just falling when entered the deep gorge.
at the top of which lay the battalion we had
come to relieve. 1t was curious and depressing
spectacle. Imagine a huge basin OF blacksh
brown esrthenware with sides steep that your
neck is strained as you look up from your posi-
tion at the bottom. From the encircling rim are
darting innumerable spurts Of fame looking al
most scarlet against the darkening sky. These
from the rifles Of men clinging like flies to
the crest line. All around casual whit whit
more felt than heard as the Mauser bullets whisk
down at the end OF their fight and plop into the
soft earth or strike with a crisp split upon a
bowlder There are not very many Of them now,
for the Beers easing of after hard day, and
sending them ten Lee-Metfords for
Mauser across the plateau.
The relief is soon effected We climb the
stony wall. The released battalion stumbles
wearfy past and disappears IN the gloom be-
hind to its well earned rest, all save one Of its
officers. who refuses to go until he has found
some Of his dead lying out on the plateau. He
pokes about in the darkness IN front Of us, finds
the horrors he is looking for and on his return
Joins US in hasty candlelght dinner with as
much unconcern as II he had been out mushroom
picking"
During the night the Beers planted
some guns to rake the gorge and show
cred the British with small shot all day
the 22d. There was not an instant's
cessation of fire, not an inch of ground
gained nor an inch lost. Another night
the counterpart Of that Of the 22d bro
ken by the same fusillade at dawn, and
another day under ceaseless rain Of
iron, and the battalion was ordered
back for a nights rest, then, early on
che 24th, was sent forward to support
the attack on Spion kop. Spion kop
had been seized In the night.
"As we started toward the fatal kop all was
quiet upon its summit. The stormers, having won
the hill after a brief scuf1e with a surprised pick
ct, were busy rearranging the confusion Of night
advance and piling up sangars with the few loose
stones available. The enemy. very much diScon
certed for the moment, were quarrehns In the
background as to their next move. Only 0 few
hardy spirits lay on the far end Of ths ndge walt
ing for something 10 turn up Over all lay
dense mist and a quiet which was cur4ouGy con
trasted with the Fsrof volleys from the spurs and
gorges Of our left attack Then the sun rose and
the mists sed before It. When the last hlmy coil
had disappeared, could the crowded As-
ures Of the British force Ike little black mari
onsttes against the light blue sky. and how thick
they appeared
"EIroly the summit must be very narrow n but
one brigade must huddle together In this manner,
a mark such artilerymen dream Of. but seldom
hope 10 see. Tho Boer srtilerists them al
most as soon as we do. boom from the high
ground which ran Hike the crosspiece Of across
the line Of the kop, puff OF woolly smoke in the
air and shrapnel sholl, timed to a traction, has
swept through the pack the hilltop Then the
rife fire began, sharp, angry, inoessant, from ev-
cry crevice and every knoll. To us below the
whole mountain seemed alive with noise. Then
more shrapnel, strings Of It dotting tho cobalt
sky with balls and smoke as II giant hand were
dinglng snowhalls into the air while the mob Of
tiny figures swsyed and shook. dslntegrated and
reformed into packs in a manner terrible 30 see 70
A Poor Millionaire