The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1913-06-12
surprise. Pull down our cork"

surprise. Pull down our cork.
We hauled the warrior down, and
he dropped Imply on the floor-stone
dead, killed by his own comrades.
O'Leary took one glance at the
corpse, then he stepped to the shaft,
now dark as night.
"See,' he said, they've covered us
up, and I'm going to investigate. Get
me one of those assegais."
Cropping around, found one and
handed it to him. O'Leary then stood
on my shoulder, and using the spear
blade, managed to slightly prize up
the fiat stone which covered the top
of the pit.
YES" he said, calmly, they're
putting more thatch on, and are going
to try to roast us. But they'll de-
feat themselves. All that stuff on the
top is bone-dry, and when it's we'll
alight they won't be able to get near"
He paused, then added, in different
voice, Il don't know whether we shall
roast, but anyway, youngster, you're
going to taste hades for while"
With that he jumped down, leav-
ing the assegai in position under the
stone, and we took it in turns to get
a small breath of air by prising it up.
There she goes,," said O'Leary,
suddenly, and I heard dull roar as
the pile of thatch over the pit-mouth
caught fire. We promptly retreated
20 the end of the cave and lay down.
1t had been hot enough in the place
before, but now it got hotter than
ever. I felt sick and miserable, and
also decidedly scared. I had no hope
of getting out alive, and saw nothing
before me but a dreadful death. The
temperature was rising momentarlly.
Every breath hurt my lungs, and the
roaring of the fire, to my excited
fancy. seemed to be getting louder
and louder I suppose l must have
said something which showed my
state of mind, for the iron-nerved
O'Leary soon brought me to my SEN
ses.
Don't be an ass" he growled.
This will soon be off, and the smoke
of the fire will bring our fellows back
double quick
Presently it seemed to us that the
place was a little cooler, and my
companion moved closer to the mouth
of the pit.
Come along" he said. 'The grass
has all burnt, think, and I'm going
to shift this rock"
Levering on the spear, he managed
to shift the stone somewhat, and
little light and air filtered down to
us, but the heat and smell were still
fearful. Not sound could we hear
of the Matabele; they seemed to have
cleared OH temporarily.
Taking courage from this fact,
O'Leary made big effort and shifted
the stone right off. He then dropped
down, and gave me lift up. l got
glorious breath of air, but had my
hair all singed, for the stuff at the
mouth of the pit was still burning.
Just then we heard shots on every
side, and soon, to our intense delight,
our fellows were back at the krall,
having driven the natives off. o.
Leary got his head out and shouted,
and we were quickly hauled out. We
got somewhat scorched in the pro-
cess, but it was trif1e to what we
had gone through. They gave us
water, and didn't I drink! l could
have emptied a river I expected
little sympathy, after our narrow es-
cape, but all I got for my pains was
a horrible Raging from my captain
for losing my rife.
The plucky O'Leary later became a
sergeant major in the Matabele
mounted police, and was the first M.
NJ. P, to be killed in the '96 rebel
lion. l saw the poor fellows grave
at the Bembesi river, on my way
back from our fight at Thabas Amam-
ba, in July, 1S96.-Wide World Ma
gazine.