The Sauk Centre herald., 1910-08-11

one of US.
Then I'd like Sergeant Harding
| with me. sir, and the black sergeant,
Big Tom, and so good men
"'Do you think that will be
| eaough?' asked the lieutenant.
- remember, if what Mr.. O'Dono-
| van told ne was right, sir. that Sko-
belief had only $50 against 5000
"'AH right, sergeant. l don't Ques-
ton your "reminiscences; but what
General Saobe,eh had doesn't prove
at you ought to have. AS you
Yourself said, you are not a Skobe-
left. so take aG many as you think you
| want
Sergeant Harding. Big Tom and
60 men will be quite enough, sir said
! the Lion, who was an obstinate man.
"'When will you start?
"'AbOut 12 sir. | shall take 20
men on the right flank, Sergeant
Harding 30 men On the left flank and
Big Tom 90 men for frontal attack
| The frontal attack will be the easiest,
if / Judge the ground right. We shall
be all in position before one o clock
Allow half an hour for delay or going
astray. and We shall all attack at half
past one. when ! send up rocket
from the right flank. That will be at
| the darkest time
"'Make it quarter past one, SER
geant' said the lieutenant. IF the
others are not up by quarter of an
hour after time. they will either have
entirely lost their way or they will
have been cut up. In either case they
will be of no use to you and though
our blacks will fight when properly
led, they won't bear waiting in the
middle Of the night. Even trained
white soldiers want some nursing for
| that
Very good. sir said the Lion, and
at twelve o'clock We started
with my 20 men crept on and on
| through the dense bush. wherein we
heard the forest beasts rustling their
| way through the underwood. Once
for moment, | saw pair of yellow
| eyes glare full into mine, and l
brought my rifle to the charge. l was
in mortal fear of treading on snake,
which is a thing l hate. Taking one
thing with another, / think the mig
gers. when they object to night expe-
| ditions. are certainly right.
But at last we got close on the
left flank of the enemy and there
came a time of waiting which seemed
hours / found the lieutenant had
been quite right in saying that a quar-
| ter of an hour was enough. That
quarters wait in the dark as C. o.,
| without any one with whom to rub
shoulders. being miles above all SYM
pathy and advice, seemed a whole
! long night to me. ] give You my
word. it's more cOmpanionable and
cosier to be in the ranks than to be
| an officer The only companiOnship
had was the chattering behind me of
the teeth of the niggers. who were
both cold and afraid, and it was all
| could do to keep my own from chat
tering Just when | thought | could
hold on no longer, up went the Lions
| rocket with whiz. It was better TO
me than the Crystal Palace on a
F. Thursday, or Brooks benefit. or even
than the policenan's fete. | never
saw a finer display of fireworks than
that rocket. We fired a volley, jumped
up and ran in with the bayonet. When
| met the Lion five minutes later, in
! the middle of the enemy's camp,
there was not a live and unWounded
adversary who was not running for
his life; for an unframed black man
who wakes up in the middle of the
night. to see what he thinks is a fiery
| serpent in the air and to feel what he
| knows is bayonet in his stomach or
the small of his back. develops run
ming powers not to be got by train
! ing And we let them run; we were
pleased to see it. Next morning, after
| occupying the camp all night, we
| marched to our main body. The
| lieutenant turned out to meet us.
What did you do, sergeant?'
1--WE buried three OF the enemy,
sir. and have 10 prisoners and 12O
guns
"'Where are the rest of the en-
emy?'
~ don't know. SIR said the Lion,
bat should think they are about in
Zanzibar by now
I'm proud of you, sergeant said
| the lieutenant IT was a very tick
| lish operation with so few men,
"'Mo, sir said the Lion with a
| blash: it reminds me of what Mr..
ODonovan said Skobeleff said. Irreg-
| ular troops. even of the very bravest,
are subject to panics. \ night attack
is the most nerve-shaking of fights;
for irregular troops. if their lines are
penetrated. it means destruction. The
object Being not to cut to pieces, but
| to strike terror, small number can
| make as much noise as a large one.
A small party is less liable to confu-
| sion and to killing each other. If a
! small party is destroyed. the destruc-
tion does not endanger the main
| body
"'Thank you, sergeant, very much,'
said the lieutenant. But l will not
tax your memory any further. l shall
recommend you for the d, c. NJ
/ "'District court-martial. sir?' said
the Lion. with open mouth