The Sunday Oregonian., July 08, 1900, PART THREE, Image 32

THE SUNDAY OBEGGtflAN, PORTLAND, JULT3 8, 1900.
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Tl.-5:
A Story of the English-Bow War, by
Rudyard Kipling.
(Reprinted by permission of Collier's Weekly.)
The Boers had wrecked the three center
spans and blown huge pieces out of the
stone piers. The -wreckage lay adrift
in the dirty water, and a section of the
British army was now picking lip the
pieces. A pontoon bridge had been thrown
across the river. Tou reached it by way
of a steep sandy track through the scrub,
and on the north bank met a steeper,
sandier scarp that cllmbeu out past the
haunches- of the bridge under the edge of
a rocky embankment. Till the temporary
railway trestle was finished this plunge
and that scramble were the only path
into the Orange Free State. By that
road came McManus, head of the Corpor
ate Equatorial Bank of Africa, on urgent
business. He had been summoned to
Bloemfonteln by the Field Marshal Com
manding in Chief, who, with tho High
Commissioner, was then striving to disen
tangle some finances which President
Steyn had dropped. In an Inner pocket lay
a pass calling on all officers, civil and
military, to assist and expedite R. I. Mc
Manus, Esq., by every means in their
power, for the state had need of him and
his time, which meant other people's
money, as well as his own, was valuable.
McManus was not used to passes. As a
rule of 30 years, few people interfered
with his uprisings or his downslttings. He
was known to remotest Dutch farmers for
an institution representing an institution,
from the edge of the Kalanari to the out
skirts of Portuguese territory; from Sal
isbury, where they lend money on mort
gage, to the sea, where tney foreclose on
villa property. His grizzled head held
most intimate knowledge of South Afri
ca's finance .for the last quarter of a
sentury; his word, when they importuned
him to speak, was law alike to specula
tive bond or progressive Ministries. Cape
Town knew that he had been called up to
Bloemfonteln, and flashed the news to
Natal and Kiroberley: nor need we for an
Instant doubt that Pretoria knew it with
in 12 hours of his departure from the
coast. The Corporate Equatorial had been
shased out of Bloemfonteln with bad
words early in the war. Its return slgni
Sed more than army corps victorious.
McManus. Ms secretary and half a dozen
fellow-travelers came in a desolate even
ing to the southern end of Folly Bridge.
A simple race of God-fearing herdsmen
had been before them. The platform,
after three days' vehement cleansing, still
reeked of putrid onions, stable litter,
and the remnants of bloody sheepskins.
They had defiled the corner of every room
they had lived in as dirty little boys
lefile abandoned houses; they had removed
everything save the door locks, and had
left In exchange a portrait In crayon on
the wall of one "Chamberlain at Mod
der," which represented an eyeglassed per
son at a rope's end.
"My word!" said a New Zealand doctor,
hoping to join his countrymen in the big
camps to tho north, "this Is a lovely land
to figSfc over! "When d'you suppose we
go on to Bloemfonteln?"
"I'd give something to know why Mc
Manus is going up," said the captain ol
a troop of Colonial Horse, returning from
a, Karroo hospital.
"Who's McManus?" said the New Zea
lander. "Good Lord!" the South African replied,
aghast at his ignorance. "He's McManus.
He's in his carriage now! You'll eee he
won't get out. He's got all his skoff with
him. He'll have a decent dinner soda
water, too."
The Colonial had been picked -up among
the tangled Colesburg kopjes, where soda
water was scarce.
"I'm going up with the Little Man's pri
vate letters." This was an officer late of
the Bengal army. "That ought to be good
for a reserved compartment in a cattle
truck. Wonder how long we have to
wait" He stumbled forth, grasping the
Commander-in-Chief's private mail- bag.
The noises of a full camp filled their
ears, but the station was void and blank.
"There must be a railway staff officer
somewhere," a young and brisk gunner
murmured. "Let'.s find him. Isn't that
' a light at the end of the platform?
Phew! How the place stinks!"
They formed an untidy little proces
sion, and, falling over the sleeping men
and stray baggage, found at last a bare
room, lighted with candles In beer
bottles, and somewhat overfurnished
with two men, both in khaki one of
them very angry.
"But but confound it all," said the lat
ter. "How did it come to be broached,
guard?"
"I don't know, sir. My business Is to
report it to you. One case of whisky
with the "top smashed in, and a bottle
gone, between here an Arundel. They're
always doing it along the line, 'sir. 1
think it' those irregular corps."
"Yes. that's all very tine, but how did
it come to be broached? Well, never
mind never mind. I shall report it, of
course."
"Report it," whispered the sapper with
doouments for the Intelligence Depart
ment. "They've been looting the staff's
reserve baggage down the line. A lot
they'll care for one bottle o' whisky miss
ing." "What can I do for you, gentlemen?"
said the railway staff officer, when the
train guard, properly reported had with
drawn. "Wo -want to know how we can get on
to Bloemfonteln?"
"Not another train till tomorrow night.
You'll have to wait till then." The R.
S. O. drummed merrily on the table.
It meant a check of full 24 hours, and
some one said so.
"It isn't my fault" said thcR. S. O.
"I assure you it -would give me the great
est pleasure personally to shoot rubbish
up the line, hut I have my orders, and
I've nothing more to do with it. I've
noticed that every man who comes up
fc v
thinks his business is the one thing I've
got to attend to, and that the whole
army will go to pieces if he isn't sent
to the front at once, but . . Hullo,
what do these Kaffirs want? Been out
of the camp without a pass?" Four
Kaffirs were thrust Into the room and
the company departed, leaving the R. S.
O. to execute Justice according to his
own lights and those in the beer hottles.
"My word!" said the New Zealander
"but we didn't make a fuss about not
going up, did we? Why was he so
stuffy? Who Is that man?"
"He's been here precisely nine days,"
said a voice In the darkness. "Nine
whole days in Africa. He has his orders.
TVo'll hear a lot about these orders be
fore we leave. I know the breed. There
wftt be larks. Now let's see how we can
whack up something to eat."
"Get a light first," said the gunner.
"If we could find some oil we'd light the
lamps In our carriage. Those candles
are no good. They always drop into the
vlttles. Morgan, you go and unscrew
the lamps an bring, 'em out here. I'll
look for oil. Hi!" (this to a shadow that
passed) "where do you keep your lamp
oil?"
"In the lamp room, of course. I'm
the station master," was the fretful re
ply.
"I beg your pardon. You must bo
awfully hard worked, Don't bother;
we'll get it."
"Thank you, sir. Yes, we're working
20 hours a day. There's the oil. I'll
strike a match and you can get the cork
out of ' t
"No, you won't. Chuck that match
away. I'd sooner waste your oil than
set myself alight. Morgan! bring the
lamps here. I'll fill 'em."
"One of the lamps ain't empty at all."
Morgan's voice came across the siding
with a rising snarl. "It's fullt It's
trickling all down my cuff."
"Never mind, bring what's left. We
must see bofore we can eat."
The lamps were filled and lit rough
handedly, and plate by plate and tin by
tin, with jackknlves for tin openers, a
meal was dragged together.
The railway staff officer suggested that
it should be eaten in his room, and then
enlarged on the duties and responsibili
ties of his office. But the company were
tired. Moreover, R. S. O.'s were old
birds to them. They knew not less than
SO of the breed, and a few had been R.
S. O.'s themselves.
"I think," said the New Zealand doc
tor, skewering cold tinned herring with
a pocket-knife, "before I talked about
shooting rubbish up the line I'd try to
burn a little of the muck that's lying
about the station. Sweeping isn't any
earthly good."
"Oh, that department Is probably in
charge of the officer commanding the
Royal Engineers," said the Colonial Cap
tain, with a short, dry laugh. He had
served ln,eince the outbreak of the war,
and counted 13 engagements to his credit.
"A little of that lamp oil we wasted
and a match would do wonders," the New
Zealander Insisted.
"Don't presume to dictate to the Army,"
an imperial officer said, almost proudly.
"I'll back an R. S. O. against any one
except the looked across the table) a
sapper."
"We're learning. I swear we're learn
ing." The young engineer flushed very
prettily. "We aren't such tfools as we
were. The Colonials have taught us a
lot. Take the Railway Pioneer Corps
that's laying down the new line on the
north bank, for instance."
"Yes," the Colonial Captain grunted.
"They're the pick of the Rand all mine
managers and machinists and engineers
and boiler-makers. They're working dou
ble shifts to finish the track because they
want to get home to Johannesburg. Yes,
I know about them." Again he laughed
unpleasantly.
"What?" the New Zealander asked.
"Oh, the usual thing. They worked
day and night, and of course they wanted
more than service ration, so their com
mandant Phil Tenbroek, he's a big mine I
manager when he's at home bought a ;
lot or Bovril and peameal and made soup
of it and served it out to 'em at night.
You can see their flare lamps across the
river now if you look. Day and night
they work. Well, the authorities found
he'd spent five whole pounds govern
ment money, and they told him he wasn't
to do It. Mind you, that's now now
now when every day what am I talking
of ? every hour's work means thousands
of pounds saved. Yes, they told him
the expenditure was unauthorized."
"And then?" said the young sapper, un
easily. "Oh, then. You know Phil Tenbroek?
At least I do. Phil sent a wire to Port
Elizabeth on his own hook for fifty
pounds' worth of Bovril and peameal.
He paid out of his own pocket, of course;
but Phllly wants to get back to the
Rand as soon as possible, and it seamed
to him the quicker that new line was
laid the better. And they'd have crip
pled the whole corps the best engineers
in the world for a fiver! Nice tale,
!S
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AND PENETJWrr.15. "
Dr. Robert M. Mulllngs, of Norwalk,
Conn., has invented what he believes to
be the most humane bullet yet offered for
use in civilized warfare. His Invention is
a simple one, but ho asserts that It will
do away with the frightful lacerations
about which so much has been written
slnco tho United States engaged in war
with Spain and England with the Boers.
The bullet for which Dr. Mulllngs is
seeking a patent Is not unlike an ordinary
bullet, except that it has an opening,
which he calls a canal, practically all
the way through It. This opening,- he
maintains, will prevent the explosion of
projectile air after the bullet has entered
tho body and also will prevont the en
trance of air into the wound. "Various
tests that have been made with Dr. Mul
llngs' Invention seem to demonstrate the
soundness of his theories.
During the progress of the South Afri
can war charges have been made both
'iCSPAlJCTa
ain't it? True, too. look at their flare
lamps! They work."
Far away across the dark to tho north
ward of the formless country ran a line of
fire dots. Tho Railway Pioneer Corps
j were at work on the new track that was
to connect with- the temporary trestle
bridge. A dull boom came up the gorge
between the kopjes.
"Blasting away the wreckage," the Co
lonial explained. "Risky work at night,
but Phil told me he was in a hurry. Oh,
Phllly Tenbroek is a man. I bet ho
hasn't taken off his clothes for a week."
Morning, hot and sultry, put out the
flare lamps on the north of the river and
brought in a trainload of troops from the
south to be added to the acres of dusty
tentage around Folly Bridge. The travel
ers, Including McManus, had seen men
and guns and buck-wagons, doctors, dust
and wounded stony hills and scrub
strewnsdowns a few hundred times be
fore. It pleased them better to observe
the R. S. O. as he valiantly faced the
tenth day of his official life. The four
Kaffirs had been disposed of, but
he was still much troubled about
Mrs.
the broached whisky and much
annoyed by the eccentricities of
lunatic civilians who, sololy for the Jest
of it. wished to know when they could
get goods up to Bloemfonteln. The big
railway Junction SO miles behind him was
also a nuisance. It complained of a
congested goods yard, and desired him at
the trucks. Now his desire was to keep
his end of the line neat and open, and
so far he had succeeded. He drew at
tention with prldo to the long, empty
sidings which he had "saved," though
he did not exactly specify the purpose of
his economics. There were far too many
people anxious to go to Bloemfonteln.
Officers, of course, if their passes were In
perfect order, might be allowed, but these J
idle civilians, he was free to say, an
noyed him. They simply had no concep
tion of military matters, and they never
seemed to think a man had orders. How
ever, he had his orders, and, faithful as"
the Roman sentry, overwhelmed in the
lava of Vesuvius, he meant to carry them J
"out. What otherwise was :he sense of
orders? He paused very often for a re-
T1v. Thi stnfinn r th xmrm 1rA nlr
I stunk to heaven.
"Well, that's all right," said the Now
Zealander, "but when I was quite finished
with my orders it seems to me I'd have
another try at the rubbish about here.
My word! Look at all that amount of
unemployed labor in the camp!"
There were not fewer than 20M men un.
der canvas. Some of them were b'clngv
drilled.
McManus went for a walk through tha t
mimosa bushes to look at the late bridge.
It cost 100,000 and somebody would have
to account for the breakage. That, Indi
rectly, was McManus' department.
"Have you seen McManus?" cried a pri
vate of the Railway Pioneer corps, as he
rode up to the Colonial Captain, sitting
in the window of what had been Folly
Bridge refreshment-room. "I've seen
him.. He looks as in, he'd just come out
of Adderley street."
"Did you speak to him?"
"No, but I wanted to ask him who he
expects Is going to pay for the bridge."
"You will, on the Rand after the war,"
the Captain drawled.
"That's what I supposed, but I wish to
THINKS HE HAS SOLVED THE PROBLEM OF
"" in rrim m n n rmrnfTT tttwiiwt Vwwiaiiimiiii i n inn- ,
piece or oa.
MOT
Ha Tnt oou:o
IKCH DtEI-K?,
1 ) '"" T' FT" 'piT-fi TTillHI WliWbTB mTnTiWlB
by the British and the Boers that their
opponents were using an explosive bullet.
Surgeons seemed to be unable to explain
on any other theory the shocking lacera
tion of the tissues when bullets of small
calibre, like tho Krag-Jorgenscn, Mauser,
or Lee-Medford, have been used. Investi
gation apparently established the fact,
howevor, that these ugly wounds wore
due to tho amount of air driven into the
body ahead of a bullet and 'having no
means of. escape. Owing to the great
pressure back of it,thls would result in
an explosion, causing' a frightful lacera
tion of the tissues.
It was upon this theory, says the New
York Herald, that Dr. Mulllngs worked.
He strove to devise a. scheme whereby
tho air could escape, and this result he
believes can be attained by having a
small opening, about the size of a pin
head, extending -through the. bullet. To
illustrate his theory, he took a solid bul-'
goodness McManus could worlc out some
scheme o' compensation that 'ud hit the
Transvaal .hard."
"So do 1 but the war expenses will
have to be paid by the Rand Just the
same,"
"That's rather hard on -as working as
volunteers to mend what the Boers have
broken, and then we have the bill sent In
to us at the end. McManus lent me two
thousand once on stands I .had in Johan-
nesburg. t paid1 him before the war.
! Wish I hadn't now. Well, I must -go on.
S-long!"
At 4 in the afternoon a train was made
up at FblIyBridge. Into this marched the
passengers and their baggage, and at that
hour the . S. O. reappeared to satisfy
himself that all passes were in proper or
der and to issue a ukase.
"You wljl be turned back at the other
side of the river by the R. S. O., there if
your passes are not countersigned by tho
Station Commandant here," he said, smil
ing. "The deuce! When was that order is
sued?" the. Colonial captain demanded.
"It Isn't .-my fault. I've only got my
orders, and"
"Yes, yes; we know all that but where
Is the station commandant?"
"I don't know. He was about here this
morning, but he- left after -lunch." -
"No o " reflectively from a corner of
the carriage, "ypu wouldn't."
"Well, I hope you'll get across all right,
but I tell yqu now that unless your passes
are countersigned by Smith. 'station com
mander, you won't be able to get across,
even if you were Kitchener himself."
"I'd give a month I'd give three
months' pay to have K. of K. on this plat
form now--and we'd Bee," said the officer
with the Little Man's letters.
'Tin only giving you my orders,"
"And you don't know where Smith Is?"
"No." ,
"And you expect us to hunt him all
around the camp, do you? We've been
seventeen twenty-two hours in this
blasted onion heap, and you and Smith
between ypu have only Just discovered"
"Well, it Isn't my fault. I'm only"
"You ought to keep Smith on the prem
ises then."
"That has nothing to do with me. I
should recommend you to go out and
look for him."
"Oh, I've no Interest In the matter.
rm only going up with the Little Man's
private mail. Hero's the bag. I don't
AT THE JUNGLE CONCERT
Leo What a charming duct Mr. Monk is playing.
care. If Ton stopped on the other side
It's your lookout. I'm sure the Little
Man would bo quite pleased."
"Oh, there's McManus," said the Col
onial captain, looking out of the window.
"I suppose he's hunting Smith. D'you
think they'll stop McManus if his pass
isn't countersigned by Smith V
"Who's McManu3?" A giggle of deep
delight Interrupted the R. S. O. "Oh,
that civilian. 'Pon my word, you'd think
Bloemfonteln was Picadllly. They're all
wanting to go up there."
"Thank you," said the Colonial. 'Tm
afraid we'll have to be turned back to
the other side. Perhaps if we say we
couldn't find Smith, they'll forgive us."
"We. I,jn nly giving you my or"
The train rolled out nearly half a mile.
and halted In a deep cutting. The pas
sengers stepped out over ankles into the
sand, that slid under their feet, and their
baggage followed them. A gaggle of Kaf-
; firs marched away with bags and bedding-
ro-ls and tne company followed depressed-
ly. They expected to be met on the other
side by a train from the north which
In God's good time would go back to
Bloemfonteln.
"But what do they want to stop In the
middle of a cutting for." said the New
Zealander. "I wouldn't have minded walk
ing a hundred yards on the. level back
there. They mlghthave made a decent
platform there. I believe I've twisted ray
ankle climbing up the bank."
"Oh, this Isn't a patch to what it Is on
the other side," said an officer on the
bridge works. And they walked and thoy j
walked, until they reached the pontoon,
a hundred feet below. McManus' face
seemed a little set as It were set, but in
no wise troubled.
"Did he find Smith T' the Colonel asked,
as they climbed the desperate north bank,
down which buck wagons were sliding in
i billows of dust. Here again CO men's la
bor for two da8 would have greatly
smoothed the road. "He said he didn't,"
his companion replied.
"Oh, glory!" said the Colonial, and hop
ping over a, bowlder fell Into a bush. A
hundred feet of river bank through deep
sand at the end of a mile walk la not j
i easy to negotiate, and It was a dewy-
browed detachment that broke through
let and dropped it into a glass of water,
whereupon a bubble eight or ten times
tho diameter of the bullet rose to the
surface. That he holds to be a demon
stration of the amount of air that is
driven Into the body by a solid missile.
He then took one of the bullets he In
vented, and when he dropped It Into the
water a bubble about the size of a pin
head roseto the surface. This, he main
tains, showed conclusively that his bullet
had driven but a small amount of air
ahead of it, and that, even If It does drive
some air into the body, it also offers a
means for the air to escape, and thus
eliminates the possibility of an explosion
after tho bullet has entered.
Other tests made by Dr. Mulllngs did
evon more to convince him thai his in
vention will go far toward making war
fare humane. Taking a piece of oak six
Inches thick, backed with a steel plato
a quarter of an Inch thick, he fifed a
TiI7iilTMTt'tew'Ei m" Tp" "" "'-T'' -T Trfr the iew bullet. 1
5" Rew aJ5!CT.tSBissSSrrf',5-TClC-r'f T??f".,yMr I-rrTi;iiiiiriwfiii(Hiii!iiwiiiiJiiiiiiumiitiiiiiiU)iiiin'iliH(i!ll I
" ' -' i ill IIIM1WII m iTMm MIMMMum m i n
the scrub and landed panting among the
rocks at the ganger's hut on the north
aide of the bridge. But the R. S. O. who
received them there was cool and utterly
calm. He wished to know whether their
passes were in order, and a hush of de
licious awe fell upon the company. vas
It possible? they asked of one another
was it conceivable that . . .
McManus climbed the slope Into the
Orange Free State easily and dispassion
ately, his lower Jaw protruding perhaps
one-sixtieth of an inch beyond the nor
mal clinch. The travelers brothers In
that great Joy made a little semicircle
about the R. S. O. the R. S. 0. of the
north bank of Folly Bridge about him
and about McManus of the Corporate
Equatorial Bank. It was heavenly
weather. There was no accommodation
of any sort or description, for the gang
er's hut was occupied by the military
telegraphers.
"May I trouble you for your pass,
please?"
McManus produced it clumsily. He was
more accustomed to demand than to sup
ply documents of identification.
"Yes yes this is all right." The com
pany winked as with one eyelid "but I
don't" see that" the officer turned It over
-"that It has been countersigned by
Smith."
- ".Captain Smith was in his bath when I
went to him at Folly Bridge at 3:45. He
sent a verbal message that It would be
"all right so far as I understood, through
the door, at the time."
'Tm afraid I can't help that." The
R. S. O. paused uneasily. McManu3, in
gray tweeds, black bowler and immacu
late white collar, gave him not the slight
est help.
"This pass is no good." The sentence
came out in a rush.
Indeed." There was a meekness about
McManus and a silence on the Uttle knot
of bystanders that would have warned
any other than .an Imported imperial alien
that that kopje was occupied in force.
"No. You'll have to go back across the
river to get Smith's signature. I can't let
you up on that pass." This very cheer
fully. Whole hierarchies had signed It. Lions
and unicorns ramped on the top, of it.
It appealed, as has been said, to earth,
fire and water to horseflesh, steam and
steel, and all In command thereof, to for-
ward with speed and courtesy R, Kl Mc
Manus to Bloemfonteln, but it lacked the
signature of Smith that Smith who was
then toweling himself two miles away.
"I must go back?" McManus' clear eyes
traveled down the rocky slope behind
him, to the far pontoon and the further
south bank, where a few soldiery, pink
as prawns and at that distance not much
larger, were bathing, climbed the wooded
bank beyond and rested with disfavor on
"Yes, go back, of course, and get Smith.
to sign it."
A lesser man would have said, "I will
see you damned first," but McManus was
in no sense small. His face did not even
flush. He turned away slowly, as though
the matter had no further Interest for him,
and the R. S. O. dealt with the other
passes. As a matter of detail not one
carried the magic signature of Smith.
The officer in charge of the Little Man's
private mail almost implored the R. S. O.
to stop him for 24 hours, because he
wished to learn whether there was any
truth in the current army legend that un
der no circumstances would the Little Man
swear. The officer In charge of the staff's
mail followed suit. He had two bag3 of
official correspondence for the staff, and
there were generally among them men
who could swear. He, too, prayed to be
turned back. The officer with the new
maps in tho Intelligence Department
Joined in his entreaties.
"After all," said one cheerily, as they
sat down oh their bedding rolled in the
gathering dust, "what does It matter, old
man. You're bound to be Stellenbosched
In three days."
Now, Stellenbosch Is not a name to use
lightly, for there go the men who have
not done quito so well; and the R. S. O.'s
face closed as he asked for an explana
tion. "Haven't you stopped McManus?" said
one. who knew his man.
"Who's McManus?"
"Oh. Fm sorry. NtaverJ mind you'll
find out before Tuesday."
"The only person I've stopped was that
I civilian, who hadn't got his pass signed
I by Smith. I can't accept a verbal mes-
t sage from across the Orange River.
"Quito right. You'll be getting all your
A HUMANE BULLET
soft lead bullet from a Winchester sport
ing rifle and then flred one of his bul
lets from the same rifle. The solid bullet
went only five Inches into the oak, while
his open bullet went clear through the
wood and made a depression of an
eighth of an Inch In the steel. This test,
ho holds, shows that the canal in the
new bullet does not lessen the penetra
tion, as both bullets were fired at the
same distance and the same quantity of
powder was used In each instance.
Dr. Mulllngs next shot at a bar of soap,
demonstrating that the entrance made,
by each bullet was the same, but that
the solid bullot had left at the place
of exit a ragged hole two Inches In dia
meter, while the place of exit of the new
bullet was only an inch In diameter and
the edges were smooth Instead of ragged,
In using these soft bullets Dr. Mulllngs tho armies of the world will go far to
found that the places of entrance were ward making' warfare more humane than
small, while the places of exit were large, it has been up to the present time.
messages from Bloemfonteln in a little
while. I wouldn't be In your shoes for a
trifle."
"I don't think McManus minds much,
though," the Colonial Captain struck in
soothingly. "I spoke to him Just now. He
say3 he is going on."
'Til take dashed good care he doesn't,"
said the R. S. O.. exploding. This was
something he could understand.
"Yes; he's going on the train when she
comes in; so. you'll have another chance,
yu see. If you stop him as he gets In I
suppose he. will go back to Capo Town,
and he'll tell the Little Man why. He's
rather busy, and he won'.t be able to.come
up again."
"But confound It all does he expect
the whole blessed Orango Free State to
wait on hie business?"
"It would be rather a bad Job If she
didn'tJust now. He's the head of tho
Corporate Equatorial Banking Corpora
tion, and he has been called up to Bloem
fonteln rather urgently to put the finances
of the place straight. He isn't going up
for pleasure, you know."
Somebody lit a pipe, and in the hush you
could hear the great river running
through itho dry hills. A far away voice
on the construction engine, backed close
up to the bridge, called to some one under
a staging:
"McManus goin' up to Bloemfonteln to
night?" "Ye-es."
"That means business thank God."
"Why-y?"
"Why? 'Cause they don't care one
scarlet weir for the whole army the
Boers don't. They reckon they can get
theih withdrawn if they win the game in
London, but reopenin' the bank at Bloem
fonteln means business. That's why. It
teaches the Dutch more than 20 battles.
Wonder they don't try to cut tho line
and nab him tonight."
The silence by the ganger's hut contin
ued unbroken for 20 puffs.
"And he did wait outside Smith's door
while Smith was washing because I saw
him. I wouldn't have done It," said an
imperial officer, slowly, "but I suppose
he wished to see precisely what sort
of fools we can be when we go In for
war."
"And you've told him to walk two miles
back and two miles here again." said tho
New Zealander, "to get Smith's signa
ture." "And there's no guarantee Smith won't
be having a haircut and shampoo when
he reaches there,"' the Colonial Captain
added. "We kneW in Cape Town a week
agb McManus had been called up. But,
of course, if ho hasn't Smith's signature
that Bettles It."
"What does It matter? Let the bruto
frolic around the kopjes until Smith's
dry. He's only the boss of tho biggest
bank in the country. Who cares for how
much they want him at Bloemfonteln?
I'd put a guard on him and march him
back in irons, by Jove!" said a cavalry
officer. "I say, old man, did it ever
occur to you to knock off the points of
some of those beastly rocks that we're
suppose to sit on. They're infernally
nubbly."
One by one tho stars came out over
the hills, and the flare lamps, of the
never sleeping Pioneer Corps puffed and
blazed afresh in the river bed. Last of
all came the train from the north, and
when McManus and his secretary rose up
to tako the places reserved for them at
Bloemfonteln, the R. S. O. took no no
tice. No more, for that matter, did McManus.
(Copyright, 1900. in Great Britain and
United States, by Rudyard Kipling. All
rights reserved.)
"YANOE DOODLE'S" ORIGIN
Cornea From Holland and Is One of
Oldest Tones in "World.
Our tune of "Yankee Doodle" is one
of the oldest in the world, says the Phila
delphia Inquirer, probably having origi
nated in the Roman Catholic church
about A. D. 1200. But in that early time It
wasn't played In the hop, skip and Jump
manner that we sing, "Yank-ee-doo-del-went-to-town-rldlng-on-a-po-ny,"
and so
forth. You have no idea how solemn this
Jolly tune can sound, unless you have
heard it played slowly by a musician
knowing how to Introduce the deep chords
for an accompaniment. It Is particularly
effective on an organ, from which it rolls
out with all the dignity of a grand old
chant.
Several hundred years ago, when Hol
land was a great empire, the people
thought so much of the tune we call
"Yankee Doodle" that they adapted It
to a harvest song that was sung the
country over. It really became a na
tional song and was sung a tilt livelier
than the old chant from which it was
taken.
Then along in the Sixteenth century,
when England began to look with long
ing eyes toward the New World and ev
erybody was infatuated with the sea, the
sailors of Sir Francis Drake carried the
tune to London, and while the English
were whipping the Dutch on the high
seas, "Yankee Doodle" was being paro
died and sung mockingly everywhere In
England. Yankee meant a Dutchman or
Hollander then, and it also meant a sharp
bargainer, for the Dutch were famous
as close traders.
One day Oliver Cromwell, at the head
of his rebel English army, rode into the
old town of Oxford, wearing an ostrich
feather In his hat, to which it was fas
tened by a macaroni cord. Then one of
tho followers of King Charles composed
the refrain since made famous. You all
know it. It reads:
Yankee Doodle came to town
Rldln? on a pony;
Stuck o feather in his hat
And called it macaroni.
After Cromwell overthrew the king,
"Yankee Doodle" was forgotten for a
time, but when the American colonies re
belled against the English King George,
"Yankee Doodle" became their rallying
song, and to this day it -has remained
tho great "Yankee" song. You may make
your own verses to It. but if you were to
try to learn all the verses already writ
ten to it It would take all your time
i for many days to come.
due to the bullet's "mushrooming'," but
a steel jacket bullet does not do this.
Although he has not yet made any tests
with a steel jacket bullet. Dr. Mulllngs Is
satisfied that with such a bullet his In
vention will be even more of a success.
The new bullet has a steel tube, extend
ing from the tip to the butt, so fastened
at each end as not to weaken the bullet
or give It an opportunity to explode. At
the back of the bullet, against the open
ing into the tube, he has placed an alumi
num wad, to prevent. the escape of the
gas generated from the powder. As soon
as the bullot leaves the shell this alumi
num wad detaches itself, leaving the tube
open.
Dr. Mulllngs Is confident that he will
have no difficulty In getting his invention
patented, and he believes its adoption by
SPEAKING OF GRIZZLIES
IDIOSYNCRASIES OF MB. BRtJES, AS
TOLD IN THE '"SMOKER."
Exchange of Confidences by the Mis
Ina: Expert, the Doctor and
Ye Bold Drummer.
"Speaking of bear," said the mining
expert, as he lit a cigar and leaned back
comfortably in the corner of the Pull
man smoker, "there's nothing nastier
to meet out than an old, dirty-faced silver-tip.
He's a cross between a grizzly
and a brown, and, like crosses generally,
he Inherits all the meanness of both
sides of the family. Old Dlrty-Faco is
always ugly about something, and ha
goes around fairly spoiling for a fight.
"Any one ever meet him? Well, I
had a scrap with one out in the Buffalo
Hump country last year and I shan't
forget it in a hurry. I was out there
looking up some mines, and one day I
took a little stroll all alone to see what
I could find. We were right in the
midst of the big mountains, a hundred
miles from anywhere, and the finest
game country on the continent. Bear
and deer and goats you took your choice
without any trouble at all. " I had my
Springfield with me, although I wasn't
caring for game just then. But some
times game hunts you, and then you'vt
got to fight, climb or run.
"Along- towards evening, as I waa
starting back for camp, I heard some
thing following on my trail, and, look
ing back, I saw Mr. Dirty Face ambling
along a couple of hundred yards behind
me and taking more Interest in me than I
liked. I didn't need any bear particu-
larly, as there were no good trees handy,
only a few little dead ones that didn't
count.
Mr. Bear Won't Be Shaken.
"In the canyon below me was a good
sized stream, and I maae ror that, think
ing I could throw the oear off, down by
the water. When I came to the" bank, I
found a mountain torrent, 30 or 40 yards
wide and deep and ugly-loollng-. I skirt
ed up the bank pretty fast for some time,
and then saw a rock well out from shore,
that I thought I could reach. I rounded
a big boulder, struck In above, and, by
hard work, reached the rock all right. I
didn't believe Mr. Bear would tackle ma
there, but there was where I didn't
know him. Right up my trail he went,
rounded the boulder, sniffed once or twice,
sighted me on the rock, and promptly
struck In.
"He had to swim, and tho current waa
so swift that he missed the rock a few
yards and so gave me a good shot. I
lot him have the best I had, and I made
him kick, but he reached the shore all
right, and now his dander was up In ear
nest. I plugged at him again, but it did
n't seem to count. On he came, higher
up this time and slghied better for the
rock. I waited for him, and when he
heaved his big. ugly paws on my rock,
I let him have it in the throat, and that
fixed him. He swept by, fairly making
the water foam. It's the last time, gentle
men, that I want to be treed on a roclfi
by a bald-faced bear."
The Doctor's Bear.
"It's funny," said tho doctor, a clean
cut, well-knit specimen of fine physical
manhood, whose clear gray eyes and
square jaw betokened plenty of grit; "it'a
funny how your first grizzly takes tha.
nerve out of you. Two or three yeara
ago, I went hunting with a friend la
Colorado. I had killed some big game my
self, and I knew that he had killed plenty,
of it. But neither of us had killed aj
grizzly, and we were each eager for the
first chance.
"One day, when I happened to be out
alone, as I came through a little clump,
of quaking-asp, what should I run plump
up against but a big grizzly, busily em
ployed In rooting around in the dirt af tea
food.
"He hadn't winded me, and there I
stood. Just screened by the quaking-asp,
almost near enough to touch him with
my gun, while ho went on rooting, ut
terly unconscious of my presence.
" 'Now or never," I thought, as I
brought my gun to my shoulder and care
fully sighted for his head. Then ths
sights began to wobble, and an agua
seemed to seize the gun. I steadied my
self, looked around for a convenient tree,
and tried again, this time for the shoul
der. Again the gun wobbled, and I
ground my teeth In rage.
"The bear lifted his head, seemed ta
smell something up the wind, and started
off at a good gait away from me. 'Well,
old boy,' I thought, 'if I can't hit yoa
standing, I can't running,' so I let hlnx
go.
"I felt pretty glum when I came lnta
camp that night, but I didn't say any
thing. My friend was cooking supper,
and he seemed pretty quiet, too. After
supper we lighted our pipes and sat by,
the fire thinking.
" 'What's the matter, old man? What
are you so still about?' finally he asked
" 'O. nothing,' I said, trying to seen
cheerful.
" 'Did you see a bear?" he persisted.
" 'Yes, hang it, I did,' I answered dog
gedly. " 'Well, so did I,' he said, and the ln
cldent was closed.
"We each got our bear afterward, how
ever, so the disease didn't prove fatal."
The Commercial Traveler.
"Well, gentlemen," said the Commer
Lclal Traveler, with the brilliant tie and!
big diamond. "I never hunted bear my
self, but I heard a story the other day o$
some fellows who found one up In Mon
tana. If it's a chestnut, call me down.
"They were prospecting right up In the)
big bear country, but they let the bea?
alone, and the bear let them alone. Ona
night they camped In a deep canyon, and
while one was cooking supper tho other
started out with his shotgun to get soma
birds. Lots of birds up there; so tama
you can almost kill them with a sticK.
"Pretty soon the man with tho shotgun:
ran up against a grizzly, and Mr. drizzly
was mad about something, and started
for him. The man hit the trail hard
for camp, the bear right after nlm. When
the fellow who was cooking supper heard
the landslide coming down the mountain,
he saw what was up, and grabbed his
gun to shoot. But he was afraid to shoot,
for fear of hitting his partner, so ha
couldn't do anything but yell.
" 'Run, r-u-u-n!' he yelled, and the man
and the bear both let out a couple of
links, and tho gravel flew faster than
ever. ,
" 'Run, r-u-u-u-n!' he howled, dancing
around to try to get a shot.
" Run?' panted the other fellow; 'runl
Hell, do you think I'm throwln' this
Pretty good story, gentlemen? WelL
good-night! I get off at the next sta
tion." S. T. JOHNS.
Finds a Snbject.
General M. R. Patterson, the Democrat
ic candidate for Congress, was Invited
a few years ago to make a speech at the
open meeting of the Hatchle Coon Hunt
ing and Fishing Club. All the members
were present, and a merrier set of men
perhaps never faced the speaker: Gen
eral Patterson rose with his usual urbane
manner, and, addressslng the club, opened
up by saying:
"What shall I talk about?"
"Talk about a minute!" cried a vole
from one of the back seats.
And he did so, ilemphia Scimitar.