TROOPER PETERSEN'S ESCAPE. AN EXCITING ADVENTURE.

Evening Post, Volume LX, Issue 114, 10 November 1900, Page 5

TROOPER PETERSEN'S ESCAPE. AN EXCITING ADVENTURE.

Trooper A. Petersen, of the First Contingent, writing to his Wellington friends fron> Elandsfontein. im4er d&te 21sfc September, says: — "I have had some real good fun since I have been out here, with, of course, some nasty times. I have been a prisoner of war twice-rthe first time for a couple of hours, but the second time the Boers captured 19 of us, and bundled us off to Nooitgedaohtj. I , was there for three weeks and two days,- when I escaped through a tunnel which it cost me £23 to make. -It was a smart piece of work. It was 55ft ia length, and had five air-holes in it. The work was very trying, but every pick was a dig for liberty. I shall never forget the Sunday night I got away. After getting through the tunnel I got up and boldly walked through the Boers' camp — and then didn't I sail for my freedom ! "I walked over 100 miles in three nights and three hours. Then' l struck a Boer laager, which I went' $rough till I came across some fine horses. I robbed v one poor horse of his cover. I was' terribly cold and hungry. Then I took the hobbles off another horse, and fastened a rim around his neck. Then was my chance, I set sail for the place where I thought the British were — and struck a Bper picket ! They challenged me once, twice, three times, and a fourth, and then I asked them who the devil they were talking to, and then galloped away. They fired about 25 shots at me, .. but J never oven heard the sound of the bußets. Of course, this occurred at night and in" darkness. All went well afterwards until I reached the British lines. There I was shot through both hips. This w.as very hard luck, because I intended to go back to blow up the" bridge between Belfast and Dalnianutha, for by doing so I would have been able to return to camp with some honours."