How many more letters shall I write you from an unsatisfactory address? Sir George White's Headquarters are scarcely forty miles away, but between them and Estcourt stretches the hostile army. Whether it may be possible or wise to try to pass the lines of investment is a question which I cannot yet decide; and meanwhile I wait here at the nearest post collecting such information as dribbles1 through native channels, and hoping that early events may clear the road. To wait is often weary work—but even at this exciting time I come to a standstill at length with a distinct feeling of relief. The last month has been passed in continual travel. The fading, confused faces at Waterloo as the train swept along the platform; the cheering crowds at Southampton; the rolling decks of the 'Dunottar Castle;' the suspense2, the excitement of first news; a brief day's scurry3 at Cape4 Town; the journey to East London by the last train to pass along the frontier; the tumultuous voyage in the 'Umzimvubu' amid so great a gale5 that but for the Royal Mail the skipper would have put back to port; on without a check to Pietermaritzburg, and thence, since the need seemed urgent and the traffic slow, by special train here—all moving, restless pictures—and here at last—a pause.
Let us review the situation. On Wednesday last, on November 1, the Boer lines of investment drew round Ladysmith. On Thursday the last train passed down the railway under the fire of artillery6. That night the line was cut about four miles north of Colenso. Telegraphic communication also ceased. On Friday Colenso was itself attacked. A heavy gun came into action from the hills which dominate the town, and the slender garrison7 of infantry8 volunteers and naval9 brigade evacuated10 in a hurry, and, covered to some extent by the armoured train, fell back on Estcourt.
Estcourt is a South African town—that is to say, it is a collection of about three hundred detached stone or corrugated11 iron houses, nearly all one-storied, arranged along two broad streets—for space is plentiful—or straggling away towards the country. The little place lies in a cup of the hills, which rise in green undulations on all sides. For this reason it will be a very difficult place to defend if the invaders12 should come upon it. It is, besides, of mean and insignificant13 aspect; but, like all these towns in Natal14, it is the centre of a large agricultural district, at once the market and the storehouse of dozens of prosperous farms scattered15 about the country, and consequently it possesses more importance than the passing stranger would imagine. Indeed, it was a surprise to find on entering the shops how great a variety and quantity of goods these unpretentious shanties16 contained.
Estcourt now calls itself 'The Front.' There is another front forty miles away, but that is ringed about by the enemy, and since we live in expectation of attack, with no one but the Boers beyond the outpost line, Estcourt considers that its claim is just, Colonel Wolfe Murray, the officer who commands the lines of communication of the Natal Field Force, hastened up as soon as the news of the attack on Colenso was received to make preparation to check the enemy's advance.
The force at his disposal is not, however, large—two British battalions—the Dublin Fusiliers, who fought at Glencoe, and were hurried out of Ladysmith to strengthen the communications when it became evident that a blockade impended17, and the Border Regiment18 from Malta, a squadron of the Imperial Light Horse, 300 Natal volunteers with 25 cyclists, and a volunteer battery of nine-pounder guns—perhaps 2,000 men in all. With so few it would be quite impossible to hold the long line of hills necessary for the protection of the town, but a position has been selected and fortified19, where the troops can maintain themselves—at any rate for several days. But the confidence of the military authorities in the strength of Estcourt may be gauged20 by the frantic21 efforts they are making to strengthen Pietermaritzburg, seventy-six miles, and even Durban, one hundred and thirty miles further back, by earthworks and naval guns. 'The Boers invade Natal!' exclaims Mr. Labouchere in the number of 'Truth' current out here. 'As likely that the Chinese army should invade London.' But he is not the only false prophet.
It seems, however, certain that a considerable force will be moved here soon to restore the situation and to relieve Ladysmith. Meanwhile we wait, not without anxiety or impatience22. The Imperial Horse, a few mounted infantry, the volunteer cyclists, and the armoured train, patrol daily towards Colenso and the north, always expecting to see the approaching Boer commandos. Yesterday I travelled with the armoured train. This armoured train is a very puny23 specimen24, having neither gun nor Maxims25, with no roof to its trucks and no shutters26 to its loopholes, and being in every way inferior to the powerful machines I saw working along the southern frontier. Nevertheless it is a useful means of reconnaissance, nor is a journey in it devoid27 of interest. An armoured train! The very name sounds strange; a locomotive disguised as a knight-errant; the agent of civilisation28 in the habiliments of chivalry29. Mr. Morley attired30 as Sir Lancelot would seem scarcely more incongruous. The possibilities of attack added to the keenness of the experience. We started at one o'clock. A company of the Dublin Fusiliers formed the garrison. Half were in the car in front of the engine, half in that behind. Three empty trucks, with a platelaying gang and spare rails to mend the line, followed. The country between Estcourt and Colenso is open, undulating, and grassy31. The stations, which occur every four or five miles, are hamlets consisting of half a dozen corrugated iron houses, and perhaps a score of blue gum trees. These little specks33 of habitation are almost the only marked feature of the landscape, which on all sides spreads in pleasant but monotonous34 slopes of green. The train maintained a good speed; and, though it stopped repeatedly to question Kaffirs or country folk, and to communicate with the cyclists and other patrols who were scouring35 the country on the flanks, reached Chieveley, five miles from Colenso, by about three o'clock; and from here the Ladysmith balloon, a brown speck32 floating above and beyond the distant hills, was plainly visible.
Beyond Chieveley it was necessary to observe more caution. The speed was reduced—the engine walked warily36. The railway officials scanned the track, and often before a culvert or bridge was traversed we disembarked and examined it from the ground. At other times long halts were made while the officers swept the horizon and the distant hills with field glasses and telescopes. But the country was clear and the line undamaged, and we continued our slow advance. Presently Colenso came into view—a hundred tin-pot houses under the high hills to the northward37. We inspected it deliberately38. On a mound39 beyond the village rose the outline of the sandbag fort constructed by the Naval Brigade. The flagstaff, without the flag, still stood up boldly. But, so far as we could tell, the whole place was deserted40.
There followed a discussion. Perhaps the Boers were lying in wait for the armoured train; perhaps they had trained a gun on some telegraph post, and would fire the moment the engine passed it; or perhaps, again, they were even now breaking the line behind us. Some Kaffirs approached respectfully, saluting41. A Natal Volunteer—one of the cyclists—came forward to interrogate42. He was an intelligent little man, with a Martini-Metford rifle, a large pair of field glasses, a dainty pair of grey skin cycling shoes, and a slouch hat. He questioned the natives, and reported their answers. The Kaffirs said that the Dutchmen were assuredly in the neighbourhood. They had been seen only that morning. 'How many?' The reply was vague—twelve, or seventeen, or one thousand; also they had a gun—or five guns—mounted in the old fort, or on the platform of the station, or on the hill behind the town. At daylight they had shelled Colenso. 'But why,' we asked, 'should they shell Colenso?' Evidently to make sure of the range of some telegraph post. 'It only takes one shell to do the trick with the engine,' said the captain who commanded. 'Got to hit us first, though,' he added. 'Well, let's get a little bit nearer.'
The electric bell rang three times, and we crept forward—halted—looked around, forward again—halt again—another look round; and so, yard by yard, we approached Colenso. Half a mile away we stopped finally. The officer, taking a sergeant43 with him, went on towards the village on foot. I followed. We soon reached the trenches44 that had been made by the British troops before they evacuated the place. 'Awful rot giving this place up,' said the officer. 'These lines took us a week to dig.' From here Colenso lay exposed about two hundred yards away—a silent, desolate45 village. The streets were littered with the belongings46 of the inhabitants. Two or three houses had been burned. A dead horse lay in the road, his four legs sticking stiffly up in the air, his belly47 swollen48. The whole place had evidently been ransacked49 and plundered50 by the Boers and the Kaffirs. A few natives loitered near the far end of the street, and one, alarmed at the aspect of the train, waved a white rag on a stick steadily51 to and fro. But no Dutchmen were to be seen. We made our way back to the railway line and struck it at the spot where it was cut. Two lengths of rails had been lifted up, and, with the sleepers52 attached to them, flung over the embankment. The broken telegraph wires trailed untidily on the ground. Several of the posts were twisted. But the bridge across the Tugela was uninjured, and the damage to the lines was such as could be easily repaired. The Boers realise the advantage of the railway. At this moment, with their trains all labelled 'To Durban,' they are drawing supplies along it from Pretoria to within six miles of Ladysmith. They had resolved to use it in their further advance, and their confidence in the ultimate issue is shown by the care with which they avoid seriously damaging the permanent way. We had learned all that there was to learn—where the line was broken, that the village was deserted, that the bridge was safe, and we made haste to rejoin the train. Then the engine was reversed, and we withdrew out of range of the hills beyond Colenso at full speed—and some said that the Boers did not fire because they hoped to draw us nearer, and others that there were no Boers within ten miles.
On the way back I talked with the volunteer. He was friendly and communicative. 'Durban Light Infantry,' he said; 'that's my corps53. I'm a builder myself by trade—nine men under me. But I had to send them all away when I was called out. I don't know how I'm going on when I get back after it's over. Oh, I'm glad to come. I wish I was in Ladysmith. You see these Dutchmen have come quite far enough into our country. The Imperial Government promised us protection. You've seen what protection Colenso got; Dundee and Newcastle, just the same; I don't doubt they've tried their best, and I don't blame them; but we want help here badly. I don't hold with a man crying out for help unless he makes a start himself, so I came out. I'm a cyclist. I've got eight medals at home for cycling.'
'How will you like a new one—with the Queen's head on it?'
His eye brightened.
'Ah,' he said, 'I should treasure that more than all the other eight—even more than the twenty-mile championship one.'
So we rattled54 back to Estcourt through the twilight55; and the long car, crowded with brown-clad soldiers who sprawled56 smoking on the floor or lounged against the sides, the rows of loopholes along the iron walls, the black smoke of the engine bulging57 overhead, the sense of headlong motion, and the atmosphere of war made the volunteer seem perhaps more than he was; and I thought him a true and valiant58 man, who had come forward in time of trouble quietly and soberly to bear his part in warfare59, and who was ready, if necessary, to surrender his humble60 life in honourably61 sustaining the quarrel of the State. Nor do I care to correct the impression now.
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1
dribbles
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| n.涓滴( dribble的名词复数 )；细滴；少量（液体）v.流口水( dribble的第三人称单数 )；（使液体）滴下或作细流；运球，带球 | |
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2
suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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3
scurry
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| vi.急匆匆地走；使急赶；催促；n.快步急跑，疾走；仓皇奔跑声；骤雨，骤雪；短距离赛马 | |
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4
cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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10
evacuated
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| 撤退者的 | |
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corrugated
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| adj.波纹的；缩成皱纹的；波纹面的；波纹状的v.（使某物）起皱褶(corrugate的过去式和过去分词) | |
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12
invaders
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| 入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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13
insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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natal
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| adj.出生的，先天的 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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shanties
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| n.简陋的小木屋( shanty的名词复数 )；铁皮棚屋；船工号子；船歌 | |
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impended
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| v.进行威胁，即将发生( impend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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19
fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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gauged
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| adj.校准的；标准的；量规的；量计的v.（用仪器）测量( gauge的过去式和过去分词 )；估计；计量；划分 | |
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21
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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puny
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| adj.微不足道的，弱小的 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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maxims
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| n.格言，座右铭( maxim的名词复数 ) | |
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26
shutters
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| 百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门 | |
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devoid
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| adj.全无的，缺乏的 | |
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civilisation
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| n.文明，文化，开化，教化 | |
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chivalry
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| n.骑士气概，侠义；（男人）对女人彬彬有礼，献殷勤 | |
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attired
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| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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speck
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| n.微粒，小污点，小斑点 | |
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specks
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| n.眼镜；斑点，微粒，污点( speck的名词复数 ) | |
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monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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35
scouring
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| 擦[洗]净，冲刷，洗涤 | |
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36
warily
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| adv.留心地 | |
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northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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39
mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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40
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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41
saluting
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的现在分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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42
interrogate
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| vt.讯问，审问，盘问 | |
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43
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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44
trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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45
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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46
belongings
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| n.私人物品，私人财物 | |
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47
belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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48
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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49
ransacked
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| v.彻底搜查( ransack的过去式和过去分词 )；抢劫，掠夺 | |
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50
plundered
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| 掠夺，抢劫( plunder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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52
sleepers
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| n.卧铺（通常以复数形式出现）；卧车( sleeper的名词复数 )；轨枕；睡觉（呈某种状态）的人；小耳环 | |
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53
corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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55
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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56
sprawled
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| v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词)；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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57
bulging
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| 膨胀； 凸出（部）； 打气； 折皱 | |
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58
valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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60
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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honourably
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| adv.可尊敬地，光荣地，体面地 | |
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