Evening star., 1902-03-22

fight-and | knew that in neither battle
We're the Beers badly punished I also
knew that Commandant Prinsloo had de-
clared to Dutch reporter that the Beers
would lead Methuen step by step to trap
ar Modder river. where they would stop his
progress short. for all time.
The Trap at Modder River.
This prophecy almost came true. Lord Me-
thuen walked with his eyes open into the
awful trap at Modder river, and might
easily have got no further but for a mis-
take on the part OF the Beers. For twelve
hours the Beers kept most of us fiat on our
stOmachS with our noses close to the
ground as we could get them while they
raked the veldt with a fine-tooth comb of
Afauser bullets.
Late in the, afternoon General Pole Carew
of the Guards and Colonel Barter of the
Yorkshire Light Infantry dashed across
the river against a furious hail of lead and.
being followed by many men of the York
shire Lancashire and Argyle regiments
routed the Beers from behind the garden
walls and cottage windows and rested on
the further Tor Boers) side of the Modder.
The few British who performed this feat
set up hearty English cheer and the
Beers hearing it and thinking themselves
surrounded Slipped silently away from their
strongholds and left Methuen the winner Of
the battle.
When victory came to him on this occa-
sion he was in the hands of the doctors
thrice attempted to cross the Modder in the
teeth of the Boer fire, and at last was shot
in the thigh and carried off the field His
men worshiped him for his courage. the
Guards brigade of ariStocrats pointed to
him-od Guardsman as he was-in proof of
what blue blood would do for its possessor.
and all England went wild with enthusiasm
cheering its millions of throats hoarse at
the mere mention of his name.
That was in November. 1899. In the fol-
lowing month his stock of popularity fell
far below par. He added So much to the
disappointment and gloom of the English at
home that none was so poor to do him
honor. and Field Marshal Lord Roberts
sent to the front the last hope of
the nation to see If he could not move
either Butler, Methuen or Gatacre. all three
of whom were stalled ard helpless.
Criticised ano Doubted.
Il was Methuen who dealt the hardest
blow at the hopes and spirits Of the Brit
ish. and this blow he delivered at Magers-
fontein. where he led 5000 men into a
slaughter pen and lost one in every ten,
his loss being as heavy as the full force Of
the Beers who attacked him. AS he had
put the three Highland regiments in the
forefront. and they had lost not only their
general, but a majority of their officers.
the Scotch were almost ready to mutiny
and did not hesitate To call Lord Nethuen
a butcher and murderer. and to swear
that they would never go into battle under
him again.
Criticised mercilessy by the people,
doubted by the government and called
murderer by a third of his army-this was
the sorry luck OF the gallant guardsman
one month after he had held ChristendOm
speiibound by three victories in a week
1t was commonly rumored that he was
behaving strangely after his defeat at Ma
gersfontein and his unique dispatches
somewhat strengthened this impression.
He lay idle with his army long time
after the awful disaster at Magersfontein
but at last Lord Roberts reached him. took
the three regiments of the Guards and the
three regiments of Scotch away from him
and sent him down to be military governor
of Kimberley for while.
He was very low-spirited while at KIM
berley, and to all who knew him Or made
his acquaintance he tried to prove that his
defeat at Magersfontein was one that must
have befallen any force no matter how
large or by whom led 1t was held by some
that he must certainly be sent home
failure. and II was equally positively de-
clared by others that he had such powerful
friends at court in the person of the
Prince of Wales (now king) and certain in
fuentiaf ladies as to make 1t impossible for
any commander-in-chiefo or secretary for
war to shame him before the nation.
His Personal characteristics.
What actually did happen to him was
that he was ordered to form one of the fin
gers of the hand Tor teeth of the comb)
with which Lord Roberts raked the veldt
on his way to Pretoria. Methuen was to
gather the remnants OF his army-the York