The Kopje Garrison: A Story of the Boer WarFenn, George Manville
General
The Kopje Garrison: A Story of the Boer War
Fenn, George Manville
South African War, 1899-1902 -- Fiction
"Coffee! Eureka!" cried the doctor. "My dear boy, I began to think I
was never to taste the--ha, delicious!--infusion of the berry--again.
Ha! Another? Yes, please. No; wake up and give it to that poor fellow
there. He has been working with me all the night.--That's right," said
the doctor, after seeing his wishes fulfilled. "Ah, it's all very well
for you, my fine fellows, who have the rush and dash and wild excitement
of battle, but it's horrible for us who have all the cold-blooded
horrors afterwards. You have the show and credit too, and the rewards."
"But we have the wounds too, doctor," said Lennox.
"To be sure, my dear boy; to be sure. Don't take any notice of what I
say. I'm worn out. We get our rewards too, in the shape of the brave
fellows' thanks. But if those people at home who shout for war only
knew what it means when the fight is over, they'd alter their tune. But
I say, this day's work ought to bring it to an end."
It did, in the Groenfontein district; and for Colonel Lindley's
battle-scarred, hunger-weakened veterans there came a time of rest and
peace.
By way of postscript to this narrative of South African adventure, here
is the letter received from Mark Roby by Drew Lennox soon after the
voyage home and the ovation which he and his comrades had received in
their march through London streets:
My Dear Lennox,--I have just seen the _Gazette_, and am of course
delighted to find the word "Major" prefixed to my name. I do not write
out of vanity; it is from the sincere desire to be one of the first to
congratulate my brave old companion in arms, Drew Lennox, V.C. Bravo!
You deserved it. May I live to see you a general, with a lot more
orders on your breast. But there is something more I want to say. I
dined with Bob Dickenson and old Sawbones last evening, and in the chat
after dinner over the promotions Dickenson told me about that episode
which occurred after I was bowled over by that shot and you saved my
life, according to your noble custom. When Bob D. told me how I accused
you of being a coward, I felt quite knocked over. Of course it is as
Emden says--I was, in a way, mad as half-a-dozen hatters, and enough to
make me, with a part of my something or another--I forget what the
doctor called it, but he meant brain-pan--bent in on my thinking
apparatus. You a coward! Why, I confess now that a petty feeling of
jealousy often worried me, through every one thinking so much of you and
the way in which you always came up smiling after no end of brave
doings. A coward! My word! Why didn't you punch my head? There, I
don't say forgive me, because I know you do one who is proud to call you
his best and bravest friend. That last is what I told Bob Dickenson you
were, and he looked quite proud. You will be glad to hear that my wound
is quite healed up; and as to the lump on my skull, the absolute truth,
honesty, and sincerity of every word in this letter must show you that
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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