Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-05-30
THRILLING BATTLE in GRAIN PIT.
Two Soldiers Escaped Death After Re-
markable Fight for Life.

first fight with the Matabele on NO
vember 4, 1898, at the Inquest river
that a small party of Raafs Hors
were out foraging.
Rations were very scarce with ou
column, which was under comman'
of Major Gould Adams, so we useo u
thoroughly search the Matabele kraai
To get supplies Of grain. In thos'
davs the natives were in the habit o
storing grain in enormous pits unoe'
their cattle kraals, the entrance De
ing through a narrow shaft about tnre'
feet deep. You dropped down through
that and found Yourself In q vas
cavern full Of grain. At the siae'
there would be big straw baskets o.
bis clay tubs, in which we usuain
found nuts and beans.
When / first struck one OF tnes'
underground granaries 1t seemed y
me like a kind Of Ali Baba's cave
There was very little fun about ex.
ploring it, though. 1t was all soiie
hard work. Our method was TO seno
down our thinnest man. He wouio
make a sack of his shirt, and SO seno
nm the grain through the shaft. un'
happily for me, 1 was usually select
cd for this task, as there was very ht'
tie spare flesh about me at that tiiiie
The grain gave out q kind OF heat
and as one worked at full pressure II
was most fatiguing. .
One day our party had STRUCK
large kraal, and after carefully goht
through the huts for any stray MAT
abele we proceeded to the cattie
closure. Here I shed my tunic and
rife and dropped through into the
pit. A couple Of fellows were posteo
a short distance off to keep watch
the remainder being at the mouth oi
the pit busy filling the noseDags WIN
the grain that I sent up. ...
had been at work for about
quarter of an hour, and was thinking
II time / had q rest, when all Oh
sudden bang! bang! went the rines'
and could hear the Matabele yeihns'
"Stay where you are; the niggers
are right on us!" some one shouteo
down to me, and then off they Went
leaving me alone. Above could hear
O. terrific racket-shots, yells and the
pattering of feet.
AS there was nothing to be DONE
and I could not get out OF the cave
without assistance, promptly retir-
ed to the farthest corner and cuodleo
I'D behind one of the grain baskets IN
case of trouble, for I had not even
knife on me.
BY the amount Of yelling going on
the Matabele seemed in force, ana
began to wonder how things would
pan out, and whether our men would
be compelled to retire. I knew they
would return sooner or later, put
there seemed a chance that the inter-
val might prove rather more exciting
than wanted.
After a while, as I sat there, listen
ing intently, heard the Matabele al
the mouth of the pit. Fortunately 1t
was only light just under the enter
ance, the rest Of the cave being IN
deep shadow. Unless a very thor
ough search was made, therefore, l
should not be noticed.
Suddenly, plunk! down dropped a
Matabele into the grain pit. crouch
ed back, hardly daring to breathe, Tor
what might happen If he discovered
me was not pleasant to contemplate
From where was hidden L couid
plainly see him-a stalwart young
warrior-but what I observed par
ticularly was the fact that he had a
couple of most business-like asse-
gals, while 1 had no weapon at all.
The Matabele language is almost
Identical with the Zulu, and 1 was
therefore able to understand when the
intruder shouted up to his people that
there was no one in the pit. He then
called to them to reach down and
pull him out, but they told him to
send them up some nuts first.
Sulkily he made for one OF the
baskets near him, and was soon busy
at the very game l had been occupied
at I was now feeling much more
at ease, as 1 reckoned that my unwel-
come visitor would soon leave.
Presently, however, I heard yell
from the niggers on top. "Amikawa!'
(the white men), they shouted, and
could hear the thud Of their feet as
they rushed off. The young warrior,
startled, made a leap for the SHAFT
but there was no one to help him up.
for all his friends had bolted. AS he
was struggling hard to try and climb
out I rushed and got him round the
waist. My word, didn't he yell! Evil
IDENTIFY he thought the spirits had got
hold of him. 1 soon found ! had
caught a Tartar, for the beggar man.
aged to get an arm clear and jabbed
me down the back with one Of his
assegais We rolled over and over
and at last 1 got him by the throat
and started to choke him into insensi-
bility, though he still struggled furi-
ously.
Hurry up, Haigh," came the cry
in a familiar voice. "The niggers are
here in hundreds, and there's not q
moment to spare"
Help" 1 shouted. 1--WE got fel-
low down here, and If let go he'll
stab me-" With that, down through
the hole dropped my chum, O'Leary
In an instant he had sized up the Sit
uation, and gave the Matabele crack
over the head with the butt end OF
his Martini, which effectively quieted
him.
We've got no time to waste" he
said, "Kneel down. so that can reach
the top with my hands, then I'll be
able to pull you out"
bent down, he got on my back and
shouldered himself up through the
shaft. A second later he came down