The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-09-26
The soldiers said no: we must now:

The soldiers said no: we must now
wait.
To this we replied by pushing them
to one side, and marching In Single
file through the gateway, which was
distant not more than hundred yards
from the koppie.
While we were getting through, the
men we had pushed away ran toward
the town, calling for assistance-a cad
that was promptly responded to, FOR IN
another minute we made out scores OF
armed men running hard in our dlrec-
ton.
So we ran, too, for the koppie.
AS soon as they understood what we
were after, which they did not at first,
owing to the dimness of the light, they
did their level best to get to the koppie
before US.
But we had the start of them, and
with the Exception Of one unfortunate
man; who stumbled and fell, we were
well on to it before they arrived.
This man they captured, and, when
fighting began on the following morn
ing, and he refused to give any infor-
nation. they killed him.
6. Luckily they had no time to torture
him, OF they would certainly have done
SO, for these Matuku people are very
fond Of torturing their enemies.
When we reached the koppie, the
base of which covered about half an
acre of ground, the soldiers who had
been trying to cut us off halted. for
they knew the strength of the position.
This gave us a few minutes, before
the light had quite vanished, to recon-
notre the place.
We found that it was unoccupled, for
tilted with a regular labyrinth of stone
walls. and contained three large caves
and some smaller ones.
The next business was to post the
men to such advantage as time would
allow.
My own men I was careful to put
right at the top.
They were perfectly useless from ter
ror, and what I feared was that they
might try to escape and give informa-
ton of our plans to Wambe.
So I watched them like the apple of
my eye, telling them that should they
dare to stir they would be shot.
Then it grew quite dark, and pres
emily out of the darkness 1 heard
voice: it was that of the leader of the
soldiers who had escorted us, calling to
us to come down.
We replied that it was too dark to
move; that we should hit our feet
against the stones.
He insisted upon our descending, and
we fatty refused, saying that If any
attempt was made to dislodge rs, we
would fire.
After that, as they had no real in
tention of attacking US in the dark,
the men withdrew, but we saw from
the watchfres that were lighted
around that they were keeping a strict
Watcl upon our puslllou.
That night was a wearing one, for
we never quite knew how the situation
was going todeyelop. Fortunately we
had some cooked food with US, so we
did not starve. ..
1t was lucky, however, that we had
drunk our fill before coming up, for. as
I had anticipated, there was not a drop
of water on the koppie.
At length the night wore away, and
with the first tinge of light I began to
90 nv rounds, and stumbling along the
stony paths, make things as ready as
could for the attack, which I felt sure
would be delivered before we were two
hours Older.
The men were cramped and cold, and
low spirited. but l ex-
horted them to the best of my ability,
bidding them remember the race from
which they sprang, and not show the
white feather to crowd of Matuka
dogs. .
At.Iength it began to grow light, and
presently / saw long columns of men
advancing toward the koppie.
They halted, under cover, at dis
tance of about hundred and nifty
yards, and just as the dawn broke, a
herald came forward and called to US.
Our captain stood on the rock and
answered him.
"These are the words Of Wambe,"
he said. Come forth from the kopple
and give over the evil doers, and go in
peace. OF stay on the koppie and be
slain"
1T is too early to come forth as yet"
our man, in fine diplomatlc
style.
when the sun sucks up the mist,
then will we come forth. &.
Our limbs are stiff with cold"
Come forth even now'" said the
herald.
Not if I know it, my boy" said to
myself, but the captain replied that he
would come out when he thought
proper, and not before. -
ITO be continued0
Legends Of Old Newgate.
The number of persons confined in
the caverns at one time occasionally,
exceeded 100, and not few noted con-
yicts served terms of Imprisonment
there. Many are the legends that
cluster about the crumbling walls, and
every turn in the underground passages
suggests some story Of one or another
of the convicts who have been confined