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Show THE FIGHT OF ELANDSLAAGTE. (Press Dispatch.) Durban, Natal. Oct. 2. The Natal Mercury Mer-cury relates an incident of the battle at Elands laagte. The fire of the British puns was getting too hot for the Boers. Ei"ht Boer-j suddenly ran forward out of cover and coolly opened fire on the Imperial' Im-perial' Light Horse, evidently for the purpose pur-pose of drawing the British fire while thtir companions changed their position. Seven of the eight men were, instantly killed. Thunder of hoofs and a bugle'scry And down thro' the veldt came the Brit- J Ish horse . , , ' ' Down with a rush on the burgher ranks With a whirlwind s sudden force. Maxim and scrapnel had done their work Or.lv the charge was needed now-Only now-Only 'the Light Horse sweep and dash To clear the kopje e- brow. Shouting of men and neighing of steeds, Beating of hoofs like and angry sea, And on, in one long wave of red, Came England's cavalry! . n instant yet and the knoll is theirs An.' intant vet and the little band Will be swept and whirl'd by the red simoom Like a breath of desert sand- When, sudden, stepped from the shelter rod's Eight burghers eight in their hero might And there they stood, as a sing.e man, To meet the awful fight. , n,vLvn nam? the thundering mass of horse. But see! where the eight are standing there, Ei?ht rifles gleam, eight rifles- flash Red death upon the air! j Ah. little, thought they eight mortal men , To stav that onward, surging tide Only, for one brief moment's space. To turn its rage aside. To turn- its rage while their comrades s!i-t (Through fate of numbers, tho' not of Back to'the laager. 'stanch and grim, Where Joubert held the hill. . A mighty crash from the charging- troop-For troop-For the burgher ei?ht a sheet of flame And. where they sto')d. but one was left-Sole left-Sole hostage into Fame! Yet now you know-yea. all men know That live or die the preat Veldt breeds, As did the Switzer crags of old. Old Freedom's Wiakelrieds: ... Undaunted sons who scoff at fate. Rough children of the. Afnc rand-Yet rand-Yet firm as are the eternal hills For God and native land. John Jerome Rooney, in. New York Times. ; . |