The Siege of Kimberley: Its Humorous and Social Side; Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902); Eighteen Weeks in Eighteen ChaptersPhelan, T.
History
The Siege of Kimberley: Its Humorous and Social Side; Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902); Eighteen Weeks in Eighteen Chapters
Phelan, T.
Kimberley (South Africa) -- History -- Siege, 1899-1900; South African War, 1899-1902 -- Personal narratives
delicacy to inspire trust where _all_ animal food was suspect.
In the afternoon, two visitors entered the city. One had little to tell,
but the other made amends for his companion's taciturnity with a
graphic, Othellonian description of the dangers he had passed, and his
wondrous experiences for many days and nights. He had, it appeared, a
regard for Mr. Rhodes, (who is less popular in the Free State than in
Kimberley), and the Government across the border had arraigned him on
the charge of being "a Rhodes man" (whatever that is). For this high
crime and misdemeanour he had been sentenced to three years'
imprisonment. But the Rhodes man resented the injustice, and, with his
friend, contrived to escape. After a series of peripatetic adventures
they were more dead than alive when the head-gear of De Beers burst upon
their view. The spectacle revivified them, and with a desperate rally
they crawled undetected through the Boer lines, to an asylum in which
they were glad to find even horseflesh to eat.
Wednesday was in no way eventful; lassitude had gripped the people. This
was the more noticeable in that our friends outside appeared to be
uncommonly vigorous. They devoted great attention to their redoubts, to
strengthening them, and conducted themselves like men who were sanguine
of the fall of Kimberley. They bombarded us lightly in the afternoon, on
the chance of stretching _hors-de-combat_ a unit of the garrison--not
more than one or two, as they had no special desire to prejudice the
appeal they felt sure we must soon make for food. They did not want that
consummation delayed a moment longer than was necessary. It would leave
them free to establish railway communication between Kimberley and
Bloemfontein; they had such a scheme in contemplation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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