A NEW ZEALANDER'S ESCAPADE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7544, 20 August 1902, Page 2

A NEW ZEALANDER'S ESCAPADE.

WINS AN UNEQUAL DUEL.

Mr Bennett Burleigh tells in tbe Daily Telegraph the story of the latest incident of the war, a remarkable encounter near Yereeniging. He says : "Two New Zealand officers, named Lieutenants McKeich and Baine, went out hunting. Starting without leave, they rode eastward a few miles, proceeding along the north bank of the Vaal river. Suddenly three armed Boers stopped them. Levelling their Mausers at the 'Fern Leaves,' the Boers called out, • Hands up.' MoKeich and Baine dismounted, and laid their guns down. The first-named then advanced to explain to the Boers that peace had been signed. But either the burghers did not or would not understand English, didn't believe them, or 1 didn't care a d for peace. They or d Bred McKeich and Baine to strip to the buff. McKeich made a bolt for an .adjacent donga, but was shot and killed, two bullets passing through his body. Lieutenant Baine then proceeded to divest himself of his clothing, but meanwhile secreted his revolver, in which there were four shots, as he was stripping. Two of the Boers turned to rifle Lieutenant McKeich's body, Watching his opportunity, Raine pistolled the Boer nearest him, and then shot the other two. Tbe three had fallen before his revolver, two killed outright, but the third, who shammed death, was only wounded. Then the Boer, also waiting, got his chance, and, seizing his rifle, shot and wounded Raine in the thigh. Lieutenant Raine ' replied instantly, firing his last shot at the Boer. Missing tbe man, as he thought, the New Zealander dashed bis revolver in the Boer's face, and bounded, partially stripped as he was, into the donga or spruit. He ran for all he was worth, and in an exhausted condition got safely back into his campat Yereeniging. Later on, the wounded Boer came crawling in, and was taken to the hospital, where he died the same night. Next morning, a search party went out and brought in the three dead bodies. There are four new graves at Yereeniging as a result of that escapade, and young Raine, who is not seriously hurt, is under arrest for disobedience to orders.