It Is Hard To Say Which Had Shown The Greater Endurance, The
Rescued Or Their Rescuers.
The town, indefensible, lurking in a
hollow under commanding hills, had held out for 118 days.
They had
endured two assaults and an incessant bombardment, to which,
towards the end, owing to the failure of heavy ammunition, they
were unable to make any adequate reply. It was calculated that 16,
000 shells had fallen within the town. In two successful sorties
they had destroyed three of the enemy's heavy guns. They had been
pressed by hunger, horseflesh was already running short, and they
had been decimated by disease. More than 2000 cases of enteric and
dysentery had been in hospital at one time, and the total number of
admissions had been nearly as great as the total number of the
garrison. One-tenth of the men had actually died of wounds or
disease. Ragged, bootless, and emaciated, there still lurked in the
gaunt soldiers the martial spirit of warriors. On the day after
their relief 2000 of them set forth to pursue the Boers. One who
helped to lead them has left it on record that the most piteous
sight that he has ever seen was these wasted men, stooping under
their rifles and gasping with the pressure of their accoutrements,
as they staggered after their retreating enemy. A Verestschagen
might find a subject these 2000 indomitable men with their
emaciated horses pursuing a formidable foe. It is God's mercy they
failed to overtake them.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 336 of 842
Words from 89874 to 90124
of 225456
