adventures and letters-第57章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


the　tug　and　fractured　every　one　in　the　basket　except　Sangree　and　Rogers；　the　two　New　York　correspondents　who　were　hanging　on　by　the　upper　edges。　　Cecil　loved　the　place　which　is　the　Midway　Plaisance　of　cities　and　we　had　a　good　lunch　and　managed　to　get　into　the　hotel　where　there　are　over　twenty　cots　in　the　reading　room；　and　hall。　　The　Commandant　objected　to　our　going　to　Praetoria　and　seemed　inclined　to　refuse　us　passes　to　leave　Durban　for　Delagoa　Bay。　　He　also　was　rather　fresh　to　Cecil；　so　I　called　him　down　very　hard；　and　told　him　if　he　couldn't　make　up　his　mind　whether　we　would　go　or　not；　I'd　wire　to　some　others　who　would　help　him　to　make　up　his　mind　quickly。　　He　said　I　was　at　liberty　to　do　that；　so　I　went　out　and　burned　wires　over　all　of　South　Africa。　　As　he　reads　all　the　telegrams　he　naturally　read　mine　and　the　next　morning　he　was　as　humble　and　white　as　a　head　waiter。　　But　by　ten　o'clock　my　wires　began　to　bear　fruit　and　he　began　to　catch　it。　　Milner　wired　him　to　send　us　on　at　once　and　apologized　to　us　by　another　wire　so　all　is　well　and　we　go　vouched　for　by　the　High　Commissioner。

DICK。


PRETORIA；　May　18th；　1900。

DEAR　DADAND　OTHERS　OF　THE　CLARK　AND　DAVIS　FAMILIES：

I　have　not　had　time　to　write　such　a　long　letter　as　this　one　must　be；　as　I　have　been　working　on　my　Ledger　and　Scribner　stories。

Cecil　and　I　started　to　the　〃front；〃　which　was　then　May　4th；　at　Brandfort　with　Captain　Von　Loosberg；　a　German　baron　who　married　in　New　Orleans　and　became　an　American　citizen　and　who　is　now　in　command　of　Loosberg's　Artillery　in　the　Free　State。　　The　night　we　left；　the　English　took　Brandfort；　so　we　decided　to　go　only　as　far　as　Winburg。　　The　next　morning　the　train　despatcher　informed　us　Winburg　was　taken；　so　we　decided　to　go　to　Smalldeel；　but　that　went　during　the　afternoon；　so　we　stopped　at　Kronstad。　　From　there；　after　a　day's　rest；　we　went　to　Ventersberg　station；　and　rode　across　to　Ventersberg　town；　about　two　hours　away；　and　put　up　in　Jones's　Hotel。　　The　next　day　we　went　down　to　the　Boer　laagers　on　the　Sand　river　and　met　President　Steyn　on　the　way。　　He　got　out　of　his　Cape　Cart　and　gave　Cecil　a　rose　and　Loosberg　his　field　glasses；　which　Cecil　took　from　Loosberg　in　exchange　for　her　own　Zeiss　glass；　and　he　gave　me　a　drink　and　an　interview。　　He　also　gave　us　a　letter　to　St。　Reid；　who　had　established　an　ambulance　base　on　Cronje's　farm；　telling　him　to　give　Cecil　something　to　sleep　upon。　　The；　Boers　were　very　polite　to　Cecil　and　as　she　rode　through　the　different　camps　every　man　took　off　his　hat。　　We　went　back　to　Ventersberg　that　night　and　about　two　o'clock　Cecil　came　to　my　room　and　woke　me　up　with　the　intelligence　that　the　British　were　only　two　hours　away。　　She　had　heard　the　commandant　informing　the　landlady；　a　grand　low　comedy　character　from　Brooklyn；　who　had　the　room　next　to　Cecil's。　　I　interviewed　the　landlady　who　was　sitting　up　in　bed　in　curl　papers；　and　with　a　Webley　revolver。　　She　was　quite　hysterical　so　I　aroused　Loosberg　who　was　too　sleepy　to　understand。　　The　commandant　could　be　heard　in　the　distance　offering　his　kingdom　for　a　horse　and　a　Cape　cart。　　Cecil　and　I　decided　our　horses　were　done　up　and　that　we　were　too　ignorant　of　the　trail　to　know　where　to　run。　　So　we　decided　to　go　to　sleep。　　In　the　morning　we　confessed　that　each　had　been　afraid　the　other　would　want　to　escape；　and　each　wanted　only　to　be　allowed　to　go　to　sleep　again。　　Loosberg's　Cape　Cart　and　five　mules　having　arrived　we　packed　our　things　on　it　and　started　again　for　the　Sand　River　where　we　spent　the　night　on　Cronje's　farm。　　Mrs。　Cronje　had　taken　away　all　the　bedding　but　Dr。　Reid　gave　Cecil　his　field　mattress　and　I　made　one　out　of　rugs　and　piano　covers。　　In　the　morning　I　found　that　the　iron　straps　of　the　mattress　had　marked　me　for　life　like　a　grilled　beefsteak。　　There　were　only　Reid　and　his　assistant　surgeon　in　the　farmhouse　and　they　were　greatly　excited　at　having　a　woman　to　look　after。

We　bade　farewell　to　Loosberg　who　had　found　his　artillery　push；　and　started　off　in　his　Cape　Cart　which　he　wished　us　to　use　and　take　back　for　him　for　safety　to　Del　Hay　at　Pretoria。　　Our　objective　point　was　the　railroad　bridge　over　the　sand。　　The　Boers　were　on　one　bank；　the　British　about　seven　miles　back　on　the　other；　the　trail　ran　along　the　British　side　of　the　river　which　was　sad　of　it。　　However；　we　drove　on；　I　riding　and　Cecil　and　Christian；　the　Kaffir；　in　the　Cart。　　We　saw　no　one　for　several　hours　except　some　Kaffir　Kraals　and　we　almost　ran　into　two　herds　of　deer。　　I　counted　twenty…six　in　one　herd；　they　were　about　a　quarter　of　a　mile　away。　　We　came　to　a　cross　road　and　I　decided　to　put　back　as　we　had　lost　track　of　the　river　and　were　bearing　straight　into　the　English　lines。　　Just　as　we　found　the　river　again　and　had　got　across　a　drift　cannon　opened　on　our　right。　　We　then　knew　we　were　in　between　the　Boers　and　the　English　but　we　had　no　other　knowledge　of　our　geographical　position。　　Such　being　the　case　we　decided　to　outspan　and　lunch。　　Out…spanning　is　setting　the　mules　and　horses　at　liberty；　in…spanning　trying　to　catch　them　again。　　It　takes　five　minutes　to　out…span；　and　three　hours　to　in…span。　　We　had　Armour's　corned　beef　and　Libby's　canned　bacon。　　Cecil　cooked　the　bacon　on　a　stick　and　we　ate　it　with　biscuits　captured　by　our　Boer　friends　at　Cronje's　farm　from　the　English　Tommies。　　About　three　o'clock　we　started　off　again；　and　were　captured　by　three　Boers。　　I　was　riding　behind　the　cart　and　threw　up　my　hands　〃that　quick；〃　but　Cecil　could　not　hear　me　yelling　at　her　to　stop　on　account　of　the　noise　of　the　cart。　　I　knew　if　I　rode　after　her　they　would　shoot　at　me；　and　that　if　she　didn't　stop；　as　they　were　shouting　at　her　to　do；　they　would　shoot　her。　　Under　these　trying　circumstances　I　sat　still。　　It　caused　quite　a　coolness　on　Cecil's　part。　　However　the　Boers　could　see　I　was　trying　to　get　her　to　halt　so　they　only　rode　around　and　headed　her　off。　　We　were　so　glad　to　see　them　that　they　could　not　be　suspicious。　　Still；　as　we　had　come　directly　from　the　English　lines　they　had　doubts。　　We　told　them　we　had　lost　ourselves　and　the　more　they　threatened　to　take　us　to　the　commandant　the　more　satisfied　we　were。　　I　insisted　on　taking　photos　of　them　reading　Cecil's　passport。　　It　annoyed　them　that　we　refused　to　be　serious；　we　assured　them　we　had　never　met　anyone　we　were　so　glad　to　see。　　They　finally　believed　us；　and　our　passports　which　describe　Cecil　as　my　〃frau；〃　and　artist　of　Harper's　Weekly；　an　idea　of　Loosberg's。　　We　all　smoked　and　then　shook　hands　and　they　went　back　to　their　positions。　　We　next　met　Christian　De　Vet　one　of　the　two　big　generals　who　is　a　grand　character。　　Nothing　could　match　the　wonderful　picturesqueness　of　his　camp　spread　out　over　the　side　of　a　hill　with　the　bearded　fine　featured　old　Van　Dyck　and　Hugonot　heads　under　great　sombreros。　　De　Vet　made　us　a　long　speech　saying　it　was　only　to　be　expected　that　the　Great　Republic　would　send　men　to　help　the　little　Republics；　but　he　had　not　hoped　that　the　women　would　show　their　sympathy　by　coming　too。　　All　this　with　the　most　simple　　earnest　courtesy。　　He　said　〃No　English　woman　would　dare　do　what　you　are　doing。〃　　He　showed　us　a　farin　house　on　a　kopje　about　five　miles　off　where　he　said　we　could　get　shelter　and　where　we　would　be　near　the　fighting　on　the　morrow。　　We　rode　in　the　moonlight　for　some　time　but　when　we　reached　the　house　it　was　filthy　and　the　people　were　in　such　terror　that　we　decided　to　camp　out　in　the　veldt。　　We　found　a　grove　of　trees　near　by　and　a　stream　of　water　running　beside　it　so　we　made　a　fire　there。　　We　had　only　one　biscuit　left　but　several　cans　of　bacon　and　tea。　　It　was　great　fun　and　we　sat　up　as　late　as　we　could　around　the　fire　on　account　of　the　cold。　　We　could　see　the　Boer　fires　in　the　moonlight　on　the　hills　and　across　the　Sand；　the　English　flashlights　signalling　all　night。　　We　put　a　rubber　blanket　on　the　grass　and　wrapped　up　in　steamer　rugs　but　both　of　us　died　several　times　of　cold　and　even　sitting　on　the　fire　failed　to　warm　me。　　We　were　awakened　out　of　a　cold　storage　sort　of　sleep　by　pom…poms　going　off　right　over　our　They　sounded　just　as　disturbing　I　found　from　the　rear　as　when　you　are　in　front　of　them。　　They　are　the　most　effective　of　all　the　small　guns　for　causing　your　nerves　to　riot。　　We　climbed　up　the　hill　and　saw　the　English　coming　in　their　us