Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1913-04-18
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his little column was mistaken for a
party Of Beers by a British garrison
artillery battery of AZ guns in n of
the hills guarding the capital. The
shells fell wide and this fact irritated
Ross. He left the column In charge OF
his second in command and rode at a
gallop toward the hill from which the
battery was firing. Oblivious to shot
and shell, toss rode right to the sum
NIT of the hill, luckily arriving I'M
scathed.
Who's the %gol-durned fool in com
mand of this OUTFIT" he shouted to the
astonished g%unners.
A young artillery lieutenant came
forward and saluted the major. The
senior eyed the younger man
sternly.
That the best practice you and
your fools can make?" he inquired
with deep disgust. iii report you
for bad shooting when l get into Pre-
toria. Maybe the general will let you
hear from him. l guess you had bet
ter go back to school, young man,
for your education has been sadly
neglected."
Ross wheeled his horse and clat-
tered down the hill again to rejoin his
command. For many a long day the
lieutenant will suffer from the gibes
of his brother officers, and he men of
the battery will probably re-
cover their self-respect.
Ross came out of the Boer war with
a remarkable record behind him and
| with tho 1In1uinp M admiration and
friendship of Lord Kitchener and 9TH
er generals. His is a name to con-
jure with. The Beers feared him to
a marked degree, SO much SO that
when large parties of them came up
to East Africa to settle after the
war and learned that Ross was an
official, they told the governor that
they were afraid to settle in the same
country with Ross. But they have
learned that the major in war and the
major in peace are two entirely differ
ent people. The East African Beers
have long lost all fear of him and
now look upon him as their friend
and brother.
l think l am correct in saying that
Major Ross is the only n~aturalized
- 40 q AIdJoi Vi
the British army, a companion of the
coveted Distinguished Service order,
and an acting official of the British
Colonial government service. This
alone proves in what high esteem he
is held by the British government.
After the Boer war was over, Ross
fought for a time in the Somaliland
war of 1902-1904 as an officer with
the Boer contingent of mounted in
fantry. Then he came up to East At
RIGA and went on a trading and ele-
phant-hunting trip into German East
Africa. HIS life there is somewhat
shrouded i'll mystery. All 1 have ever
been able to ascertain about it is
that he shot a large number of ele-
plants, secured a grant of land, and
set up a trading store at one of the
German stations, Bakoga, l believe, on
the Victoria lake.
However, he managed to fall afoul
of the German authorities, and he was
expelled from the territory and his
land confscated. By all &C
counts, he was very harshly and unde
servedly used. When his royal high
ness the duke of Connaught was Wis
iting East Africa in 1906, Major Ross
came to meet him at Kisumu on the
Victoria lake by the dukes special
request. They had a long talk and
the duke promised to take up his
case against the German colony on
his return to London.
Shortly afterward, as a result of
this meeting, Major Ross was appoint
ed assistant game warden of the East
African protectorate. Nc more fit
ting work could have been found for
him, and he has earned a great name
for his rigid enforcement Of the game
protection laws. Woe betide the man
who is bold enough to break the game
regulations, for he will have to an
swer to Major Ross and the courts
of justice as sure as his name is
what it is.
Day after day Ross rides the plains
and game reserves in search of law
breakers. He thinks nothing of cover
ing SO miles a day. He carries his
food and blankets on his saddle, and
sleeps under a tree, in a native hut,
or, If lucky, at a farmhouse. He cares
nothing for the danger of attack from
prowling beasts of the jungle or tur-
bulent natives, or from the hardships
of exposure. He spells duty with a
very big capital D.
On one occasion, the story goes thai
he rode by moonlight from Fort Hall
in the Kenka district to Nairobi-a
distance of Cd miles! When about
half way, he was held up on the plains
by three lions. Ross says that he had
much difficulty in keeping his pony's
head on to the lions, but eventually
the lions tired of stalking him and
turned their attentions to some zebra
which Ross could heal near by. It
wasn't a very pleasant experience, but
Ross laughs at it. He calls the three
lions in question, ~"GoIdarned pesky
| curious critters"
At his house in Nairobi he kept for
a long time a tame lion, much to the
terror of itinerant natives. He says
that it was the best watch dog he
ever owned, and claims that when all
the other bungalows in his vicinity
were favored by burglars, his house
escaped attention. Which Is not at