Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-10-08
CHAPTER VII.
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Continued.
"Then make ready to die" said the
herald, for all the world like the villain
of Transporting piece, and stalked
majestically back 10 the soldiers.
made my final arrangements, and
looked anxiously at the mountain crest.
a couple of miles or so away, from
which the mist was now beginning to
lift, but no column of smoke could l
see.
whistled. for il the attacking force
had been delayed or made any mis-
take, our position was likely to grow
pretty warm.
We had barely enough water to wet
the mouths of the men. and when once
that was finished we could not hold the
place for long in the burning sun.
At length, just as the sun rose In
glory over the heights behind us. the
Matuku soldiers. of whom some fifteen
hundred We're now assembled, set up
queer whistling noise. which ended
in a chant.
Next some shots were fired for the
Matuku had a few guns), but without
effect, though one bullet passed just
by mans head.
"Now they are going to begin," l
thought to myself, and I was not far
wrong, for in another minute the body
of men divided into three companies,
each about five hundred strong and.
heraded by running fire, charged at
us on three sides.
Our men We're now all well under
cover. and the fire did us no harm.
mounted on a rock. so as to com.
mand a view of as much Of the koppic
and plain as possible, and yelled to
our men to reserve their fire till gave
the word, and then to shoot low, and
reload as quickly as possible.
knew that, like all natives, they
were sure to be execrablt shots. and
that they were armed with weapons
made out of old gas pipes, so the only
chance Of doing execution was to let
the enemy get right on to us.
On they came with rush. They
were within eighty yards now, and as
they drew near the point Of attack |
observed that they closed their ranks,
which was so much the better for us.
"Shall we not fire, my father?" sung
out the captain.
"No-confound you" l answered.
Sixty yards - fifty - forty - thirty
Fire, you scoundrels" yelled, setting
the example by letting off both barrels
of my elephant gun into the thickest
part of the company opposite to me.
Instantly the place rang with tho
discharge of two hundred and odd
guns. while the air was torn by the
passage Of every sort of missile from
iron potlegs down to slugs and pebbles
coated with lead.
The result was very prompt.
The Matukus We're so near that we
could not miss them, and at thirty
yards lead-coated stone out Of gas
pipe is as effective as a Martini rife, or
more so.
Over rolled the attacking soldiers
by the dozen, while the survivors, fair
~ frightened, took to their heels.
We piled them with shot till they
were out Of range; made it very
warm for Them with the elephant gun.
by the way. and then we loaded up in
quite a cheerful frame of mind. for we
had not lost man, whereas l could
count more than fifty dead and wound
ed Matukus.
The only thing that damped my ardor
was that stare as would. could see
no column Of smoke upon the mountain
crest.
Half an hour elapsed before any fur.
ther steps We're taken against us.
Then the attacking force adopted
different tactics.
Seeing that 1t was very risky tn try
to rush at us In dense masses. they
opened out into sklrmlshing order, and
ran across the open space in lots of
FIVE and six.
As it happened, right at the foot OF
the koppie the ground broke away a
little in such fashion that it was al
most impossible for us to search it
effectually with our fire.
On the hither side of this dip Wam-
bes soldiers were now congregating IN
considerable numbers.
OF course, we did them as much dam
age us we could while they were run
ming across, but this sort of work re-
what we had not got.
Another thing was that so many Of
our men would insist upon letting off
the things they called guns ut every
little knot Of the enemy that ran
across.
Thus the first few lots were indeed
practically swept away, but after that,
as it took long while to load the gas
pipes and old flint muskets, those who
followed got across IN comparative
safety.
For my own part, fred away with
the elephant gun and repeating carbine
ill they grew almost too hot to hold
but my individual efforts could do moth
ing to stop such rush or perceptibly
lessen the number of our enemies.
At length there were at least thou
sand men crowded into the dip Of the
ground within few yards Of us
whence those of them who had guns
kept up n continued fusillade upon the
koppie.
They killed two Of my bearers in thi:
way and wounded third. for. being
Mt the top of the koppie, these mer
were most exposed to the Gre from the
dip at It's base.