The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-08-25
SENSATIONS IN BATTLE.
Scenes From the Varied Experiences
of a War Correspondent.
Julian Ralph in London Express)

ing beyond the houses OF the town 20
ward some hills where the Beers were
picketed. 1t was raining very hard,
and the pelting of the drops upon the
umbrella which sheltered both drowned
the lesser noises. The men and UNI
brella made conspicuous target, and
the Beers began shooting before the
two men got within range.
The soldier saw where the MauseF
balls struck the earth and each sent
up its little fountain-like jet of the red
dust of the veldt. He Quiekened his
pace. in order to reach the place of
shelter to which both were bound: and
presently the little jets of sand began
TO spout up in front of his and his COM
panion's feet. In another two minutes
bullets were flying over their heads and
striking the ground before and behind
them. The civilian was unaware of
this He heard only the rain. and the
sand Jets. escaped his observation.
You don't seem very much afraid
of bullets" the soldier remarked.
Il shouldn't like 10 be hit by one, "
said the civilian.
Were you ever under fire before?"
4 never was under fire." the civilian
replied; but what do you mean by be
fore?' Are Te in any danger of being
shot at?''
Are WEI" the soldier exclaimed;
why. man alive, don't you know that
you are under fire now? Don't you see
the bullets kicking up the dirt all
around us? Don't you hear them sing
ing?'
The civilian stopped stin, looked at
his companion, watched the ground.
saw bullet bed itself at his feet-and
then turned and ran back to Kimberley
with the speed of deer, though he
was middle aged and portly
/ can appreciate that story because
the first time I was under fire in the
Boer war l did not find it out till aft
erward. 1t was at Lord Methuen's first
battle-Belmont. The British had
cleared one kopje, and then gone
around it to dislodge the Beers from
another position. My son, Lester. and
faced one on which the Beers had a
field gun, We were silhOuetted black
and white against the sky, but our po-
Sition seemed secure as the two forces
were engaged in a fierce fight far be-
low and before us.
We did not then know that it was the
custom of the Beers to detail crack
shots to work as sharpshooters, and TO
pick out individuals as their targets
while the comrades were engaging the
British with vOlleys. AS we looked on
we heard occasional faint sounds in the
air, just before us, and each of us saw
little spurts of dirt rise and disappear
las one sees the mist of a whales
spout at a great distance at sea.
The Beers retreated. the British
swept ahead, and we ran down the
kopje to catch up to the troops 1t was
not until we were In the next battle.
and had closer acquaintance with the
sounds and habits of flying Mauser bull
lets, that we realized to a certainty
that at Belmont We had been ported
at for ten or fifteen minutes, but had
been, happily, just out of the danger
zone.
At the battle of Dreifontein, just be-
fore Bioemfontein, another case in
point was the experience of my son
and H A. Gwynne of Reuters-in
many important respects the greatest
or living war correspondents These
TWO advanced toward the invisible en-
envy, hidden among bushes and rocks
on a kopje, until there came upon them
such cioudburst of bullets that it did
not seem as if a miller moth could
could have flown over the veldt without
being hit Both men fell on their faces.
and. out of dare deviltry. Mr.. Gwynne
lifted one hand above his head to see
II II would be hit He pulled il back
before it had been raised six inches. for
a bullet grazed along the back os it
even as he began to raise it.
That fusillade continued for many
minutes, and neither man, nor even one
OF their saddle horses was shot. though
other men and horses fell all around
them. One man was shot three times
while doctor was dressing him, and
yet the doctor escaped.
It is these experiences, common as
rain TO all who were in that war, which
inure men to danger. cause them to
bellttie ii, and utterly destroy that sort
OF romance of war which we imbibe
from the books Of men who imagine
what war must be without having ex-
perienCed its various phases.
When Captain Lowther of the Scots
Guards and three or four of his men
were being sniped at while on OUTPOST
duty, the dreamer about war would
nave had the captains cheek blanch,
while through his brain would roll a
panorama of the scenes of his past life
and of the faces of those he loved at
home He would try to steel his nerves.
he would set or lock his Jaw. he
would turn 10 his men and say either.
Men. fear few of US will come out of
this alive" or Take cover. quick. and
shoot whenever You see a head" Moth
ing of this accOrds with the facts.
The bullets whistled around the men
and spattered the earth at their feet
while they strobe ahead to the outposts
10 which they were ordered. AT last
possibly when the captain became i'm
pressed by the impudence of the enemy
he said TO his men: We will stop
those fellows. They are too cheeky.
Forward men, and roll them out of
their holes" The guardsmen dashed
ahead and the Beers leaped up and re-
tired-as was their almost inyariable
custom.
1t was so with Captain Bowen of the
Kimberley volunteer forces In a lively
skirmish fight a Boer picked him out
from among his men. and shot and
shot and shot at him until il seemed
10 the captain like "A persecution. He
grew veXed-not angry because thai
implies losing self-control-but an
noyed- He said TO himself: THAT fell
low is shooting at no one but me. Does
he think I am like a wooden target
With no self-respeCt or ability TO an
swer back?' He lay down on the veldt
and devoted his most careful and ar
dent efforts 10 Kidding the world of that
lnSoient Boer- He made the Beers
hiding place so hot that the man could
not move without exposing himself.
and therefore stopped shooting.
Captain Bowen knew he had not hit
the man. and was obliged. reluctantly
TO get up and mount and ride after his
men A half hour later, when he was
returning and had forgotten the Incl
dent, the Boer again opened fire at
MIN, and this time shot the captain in
the mouth
Brave men We're plenty in the army.
So generally were they brave that
all the marked men were not the COW
ards. but the fellows who went
out of their way to put them
selves in danger, or who. being in great