Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-31

ever ] am - 4 y one else, l never shall
be anything ia you bat your little girl!'
And that ompact was sealed then and
there with kiss.
was III HE library of his own house.
Air III Ai,v.Ile. JOY came in and closed
the door carefully; 81 came close and
whispered
Am | sin your Ii, : girl daddy?'
always my dear. always"
Then you don't mind having a secret
with me.
Mind. my dear. love it. What is it
you want 10 tell me- She took a fold
ed newspaper from her pocket and hand
ed it to him. saying:
II came across this in tho New York
Tribune. Read itl'' Col. Ogilvie turned it
over with a rueful look as he said:
THE whole of it?'
..Oh. daddy. don't be SO tresome; of
course not" Her fathers face bright
ened.
.Then YOU read what you want me to
know. Your eyes are better than mine.
Joy at once began to read:
From our own correspondent, Cape
town. Some details of the lamentable
occurrence at de Hooge's Spruit which
was photographed from the front yester-
day have now come to hand 1t appears
that battery of field artillery was or
dered to proceed from Bloomgroot to
Neswick, escorted by squadron Of mixed
troops taken from the Scottish horse and
the mounted yeoman. When they had
begun to cross the river, which here
runs so rapidly that great care has to be
observed lest the horses should be swept
away. terrible fusillade from an en-
trenched force of overwhelming numbers
was opened on thenE Col. Seawright who
commanded ordered a retreat until the
disposition of the enemy could be ascer-
tanned. But before this maneuver could
be effected the British force was half
wiped out. Accurate fire had been con-
Tho nrft
the guns were all on the river bank ready
for the crossing it was impossible to res
cue them Gallant efforts were made by
the gunners and the cavalry escort, but
in the face of the hail of bullets the only
result was d terrible addition to the list
of killed and wounded. Seeing that the
ground was partly clear, number of
Beers crept out of cover and tried to
reach the guns. At this our troops made
another gallant effort and the Beers dis
appeared. Still. it was almost hopeless
to try to save the guns. One only of the
battery was saved and this by gallant
an effort on the part of one young officer
as has been as yet recorded in the war
Capt Lord Athlyne''-here Joy looked
up for an instant and saw frOwn sud-
denly darken her fathers brow-"who
was tentatively in command of a yeo-
manry troop. took a great coil of rope. one
end of which was held by some of his
men. When he was ready he rode for
the guns at racing pace, loosing the
rope S he went. 1t was miracle that
he came through the terrific fire aimed
at him by the Boer sharpshooterS Hav-
ing gained the last gun, behind which
there was a momentary shelter, he at
tached the end of the rope. Then mount
ing again he swept like a hurricane
across the zone of fire. There was a
wild cheer from the British. and a num-
Der of horsemen began to ride out while
the firing ran along the front of the wait
ing line. But the instant the rope was
attached the men began to pull and the
gun actually raced along the open space
In the middle of his ride home the gallant
1rishman's cap was knocked off by a
bullet. He refined up his charger. dis
ed it with his handkerchief before again
mounting. Despite their wounds and the
chagrin of defeat the whole force cheer
ed him as he swept into the lines
TO be continued tOmorrnwl