Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-10-08

falling over.
Then, as it came opposite a schanse
that portion of the long line of war
riors would thicken up and charge Il
with wild rush.
could clearly see them leap on t.
beneath, some Of their number falling
backward on each occasion, shot o
stabbed to death.
Next would come another act in thu
tragedy.
Out from the hither side of thu
schanse would pour such of its defend
ers as were left alive, perhaps three
or four, and perhaps dozen. running
for dear life. with the war-dogs OF
their tracks.
One by one they would be caught
then up flashed the great spear, ant
down fell the pursued, dead.
saw ten of our men leap into one
large schanse, but although watched
for some time, nobody came out.
Afterward We inspected the place
and found these all dead, together with
twen.y-three Matukus.
Neither side would give in, and they
had fought it out to the bitter end.
At last they neared the second line
Of Notifications. behind which the
whole remaining Matuku force, mum.
bering some two thousand men, was
rapidly assembling.
One little pause to get their breath
and they came Mt it with rush, and
long wild shout of "Bulala Matuku'
(kill the Matuku) that went right
through me.
Then came an answering shout, and
the sounds Of heavy firing, and pres
emily l saw our men retreating, some
what fewer in number han they had
advanced.
Their welcome had been a warm one,
for the Matuku fight splendidly behind
walls.
This decided me that IT was neces-
sary to create diversion.
If we did not do so, 1t seemed very
probable that we should be worsted
after all.
l called to the captain Of our little
force. and rapidly put the position be-
fore him.
Seeing the urgency Of the occasion,
he agreed with me that we must risk
it, and in two minutes more we We're,
with the exception of my own men,
whom I left to guard the wounded,
trotting across the open space and
through the deserted town, toward the
spot where the struggle was taking
place some seven hundred yards away.
In seven or eight minutes we reached
a group Of huts-it was headman's
kraal, that was situated about a hun
dred and twenty yards behind the for
tilted wall-and took possession of 1t
unobserved.
The enemy was too much engaged
with the foe in front of them to notice
us, and besides, the broken ground
rose in hog-back shape between.
There we waited minute or two
and recovered our breath. while gave
my directions.
So soon as we heard the Butiana
Impi begin to charge again, we were to
run out in line to the brow Of the hog.
back, and pour our fire into the mass
of the defenders behind the wall
Then the guns were to be thrown
oh with fh a
assegai.
We had no shields, but that could not
be helped; there would be no time to
reload the guns, and 1t was absolutely
necessary that the enemy should be
disconnected at the moment that the
main attack was delivered.
The men, who were as plucky a set
of fellows as ever l saw, and whose
blood was now thoroughly up, consent
ed to this scheme, though I could see
that they thought it rather large or.
der, as indeed ! did myself.
But knew that IL the Impi was
driven back a second time the game
would be up, and for me, at any rate,
1t would be case of the thing that
bites," and this sure and certain knowl.
edge filled my breast with valor.
We had not long to wait.
Presently we heard the Butiana war
song swelling loud and long.
They had commenced their attack.
made a sign, and the hundred and
fifty men, headed by myself, poured
out of the kraal, and getting into a
rough line, ran up the fifty or sixty
yards of slope that interviewed between
ourselves and the crest Of the hog.
backed ridge.
In thirty seconds we were there, and
Immediately beyond us was the main
body of the Matuku host, waiting the
onslaught of the enemy with guns and
spears.
Even now they did not see us. so in.
tent were they upon the coming at.
tack.
1 signed to my men to take careful
aim, and suddenly called out to them
to fire, which they did with will,
dropping thirty or forty Matukus.
"Charge!" l shouted again, throwing
down my smoking rifle, and drawing
my revolver, an example which they
followed, snatching up their spears
from the ground where they had placed
them Will, the fred.
The men set up a savage whoop, and
we started.
/ saw the Matuku soldiers wheel
round in hundreds, utterly taken aback
at this new development of the situa-
ton.
And looking over them, before we
had gone twenty yards, saw some
thing else.
Tor ~ a c,,ddop n q than oh fhov no Il