Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1917-10-25

Kisumu passed near our home ant
crossed the border some sixty mile
away. Kisumu is the terminus of tn
Uganda railway on Lake Victorl;
Nyanza, the railway Colonel Roose
welt termed "a railway thru tn,
Pleistocene.
Concerning the history, achieve
lment and result of this particular ex
Iredition, was we'll informed. boil
from native and German sources
The expedition truly failed of it,
object worse, most of it failed tC
return But, in maintaining German
honor it ought at least to be reck'
ored moderately successful.
Refugee survivors from the native
soldiery and auxiliaries who began
struggling YEARLY homewards past
our plantation a week or so after the
battle told us that the blacks lay
dead in heaps like fallen grass upon
the battlefield at Keesi where they
had met the English colonial defense
force, or like that" said one, as he
pointed significantly to the heaps of
chips and shayings littering the floor
of our plantation workshop.
Much in the history of this expe-
dition was highly interesting. 1t
was under command of Captain Won
Book and was composed of sixty-five
Germans, 1000 Askaris and 1,50O
Ruga-Ruga. "Askari" is the uniyer-
sal name in East Africa for a ma
tive trained soldier and "Ruga
Ruga' signified the native auxila-
rier, spearmen and carriers in the
transport.
The expedition, after crossing the
British boundary, stopped for a lit
tie truly German ceremony Banners
proudly aloft the banner of Islam
side by side with the German war
lords yulture-emblazoned emblem
they proclaimed in loud words in
the native language, Now this day
this becomes our ground
With the crescent of Mohammed
they reckoned on drawing the Mo
bammedan population OF Africa to-
their side. 1t proved another
"Ruanda" calculation. The German
again forgot that he had been long in
Africa and his old banner had been
seen further than his new
But boldly they marched on and
on, in the name of the kaiser and Mo
manned. who were they the gods
could deliver out of their hands? No
British were to be seen. They had
fled as properly and decently as they
could after the ceremony on the Dor
der. The Germans marched without
or scouts they saw no need
of them.
Three days inland, onward, yet not
a foe had dared to show his head.
Was 1t not even as they had told
their Askaris, "the British are not
men only a lot OF women" Early
on the fourth day, they marched
down the slope towards the British
government and military post. Keesi.
1t was abandoned and empty, its de-
tenders had fled Banners still fly
irg, they captured" the first enemy
position" without a shot.
Keesi was a beautiful spot and |
more 1t had splendid bungalows
those effeminate English like nice
things, "jnst like women" And the
were not so empty as first |
appeared. Inside were breakfasts
spread on tables, but untouched. i
Better, even, whisky bottles with
corks already drawn! How consid-
crate of them to take time to draw
The corks and not take time to drink!
Nor did the Germans stop to in
1uire how it happened that these eff
terminate ones had taken to whisky
so very early in the morning. But
when | said to a German under Of
'Icer who related these circum-
stances to me later, you evidently
ell into blooming British trap"
lie became angry and said, mo, no,
here were half written letters on the
ables. puttees lying about they had
lot found time to put on. Yes, the
simple English had really left their
rouse in disorder before their 'hur-
led flight
The Germans reached Keesi weary
tut strong. Their appetites were.
they fell to. especially on the whis-
~ And then-a signal shot rang
nut. The Germans rushed out into
he square. Where had it come from?
he answer came sharp and clear [
rom a thickly wooded ridge a few
hundred yards away British Max
m guns ratified as the Germans and
heir Askaris began to fall in their