A NEW ZEALAND BOY AT THE FRONT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2545, 24 December 1902, Page 65

A NEW ZEALAND BOY AT THE FRONT.

_• ♦ By Bbitanxta. c When the Boer War broke out," many of New ~ Zealand's sons, determined to do their best for Queen and Empire, went loyally to the front. Among their^ num : ber was George Ward, who lived-with his parents at Rbslyn, a suburb of Dunedin. In vain did his heart-broken mother urge him to remain at home. George was resolved to go to tlie seat of war. Tenderly he comforted her, and many a ime, with his arm around her neck, he promised her faithfully not to rashly expose himself. • ■ He volunteered, amd was sent out a lieutenant in the First Contingent. About that time General Buller had just arrived in South- Africa. George Ward had the good fortune "to distinguish himself in an affray with .the enemy. He was mentioned in despatches, and received a commission in an: English regiment. The Boers having besieged Ladysmith, it became Buller's duty to relieve the town. - He collected his forces at Pietermaritzburg, and at the head of 15,000 men marched towards Xadysmith: At the last moment .George's regi-, ment was ordered to join Buller's command.^ One beautiful moonlight night, as our New v Ze'alander " Avas in a locality about -tamile from the camp, he Beard' a rustjing noise among some trees close by. With.his rifle at the "present," he knelt down behind a- small - bush to await eventualities. He was not long left in doubt, however, for, having stealthily pushed aside, the bushes, a man stepped' out. He halted, for a moment, arid then, evidently satisfied' that there was no one near, was about to pursue his course, when George, stepping from behind the scrub, cried "Halt!" The stranger, being taken by surprise, was rendered powerless. In reply to Ward's question as to who he was, he replied in English, "My name is Hans Johnston. I am a burgher of the Transvaal. Jn camp a few days ago one of my comrades died. As we had known each other since we. were boys, when he was dying he gave me a messaige to carry to his mother. When you stopped me, I was on the way to break the news to her. It now rests with you whether I may go " or not." George hesitated. He knew that the man before him was a soldier of the enemy. Yet he could not help perceiving that he had acted in accordance with the wishes of his dying comrade ; so, turning to him, ht said, "Go ; although you fight for an unrighteous cause, still I admire your honour.". Without a word of thank* the Boer immediately departed, and was soon lost to sight. A few days later the British attacked the Boers at Colenso. Although George went through . the he,, knew very little about it, ,'so I think 1 shall describe fhe Engagement. • ■ -- ' The 156h .December .dawned clear "and bright, the - rising "sim throwing- pleasant beams over- the "surrounding .landscape. The scene presented .to -the eye was .beautiful in. the extreme.-' To -tlie tfofth; hill rose above kill in'succession, -untiltheir-summits seemed lost in the morning mists:' From the base of the hills stretched towards the south a broad plain, through which a deep and rapid river, the Tugela, rushed onward. At first no sound broke the stillness of the morning. Presently a> low murmur feemed to steal over the air. • Whence did it come? From the mountain tops? No! for the faint wind blew from the opposite quarter. Then it must have come from the south. ' Far away in the latter direction a long, dark line appeared. Presently this grew larger, and men and horses could ba distinguished. These scattered about on the plain, in groups varying from 100 to 500 men, who. as their khaki uniform signified, were British soldiers — in fact, Buller's entire army. Suddenly the whole force halted ; officers galloped hither and thither, and batteries of horse artillery took up their nosition in the vanguard. Men unlimbered the cannon, and loading and dis- v charging them, threw shell after shell on to the apparently deserted hills in front, where JouberV's army lay entrenched. JThen the British General ordered his artillery to advance to the river bank; - At .once .they advanced, but scarcely had they for the second time nnlimbered 1 when, fronj^the hills in front, belched forth shot an* shell. On all sides the British f ell j. the -horses were killed, and the guns deserted: ■-' Broken. 1 and disorderly, the English soldiers v fell back, leaving hundreds - of , their , numbers dead on the field. Again and- again some English officer, in a vain attempt-to recover the guns, dashed forward with a handful of His men. All day the battle raged, and still the cannon were not" regained. At last, when night fell, the -English Army, leaving their cannon in the hands of the Boers, retreated under cover of- darkness. Towards the close of the battle -George, whilst engaged in the general attempt to recover the guns, was wounded.-; ,Forctwo, hours he lay in the scorching.- sun,- <- bisf tongue parched and his bones; "aching." Night came and passed, and" another day dawned. Then some of the Boers came down from the neighbouring hills and removed the captured cannon. ' The wounded Englishmen implored them to quench their thirst, but in vain, foi the Boers, with one exception, took not the slightest notice of them. This one wandered among the wounded, relieving their pain as imich as possible. At last he approached the spot where oui unconscious New Zealandei lay. When he perceived the wounded man, ' a thrill seemed to pass through his frame. He bounded forward and, lifting him in his nrms, carried him like a feather to the river bank. Then he carefully attended lo our hero's wound, and soon George became sensible of what was passing around him. When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying in someo'ne's arms. It was some time before he could collect his' scattered senses, psnd then, perceiving who it was that held him. he was greatly astonished, for the goot 1 Samaritan was no other than the young burghei whom he had met a few nights before. Geonre a&ked

his late "acquaintance how it was that ImJ -csme -to be found by him. The Boer replied that he was very, grateful to the "New Zealander for not- haying arrested him when they first met. When' the battle was over, knowing that many British troop.' had fallen, he searched- among {the, dead and dying to -see' if his, benefactor* was amongst their number. ;When\he found v hini', hi. > -joy knew no bounds,', for, . as the worthy burgher said,',_" One good turn deserves "another.". - The Boer then 'carried George to -a neighbouring farmhouse, .where he was - carefully' attended to. *" ;'Wfien ; he had' suffiv ciently recovered tb i be .removed,. Hans* Johnston led him . to. the -English .'lines. After a hearty handshake, and resolving fc remain good friends, .theylparted. George was invalided home, and is' now, content t6 remain there and support^iuSrbld. parents. The other day he reoeivecf a letter .from South Africa, and who do you think^h'jid sent it? It came from Hans. .* It jEooje George some time to read it, as.-here'and there a Dutch word was insetted.', However, he made out the last sentence, which read : "We'll take a cup ' of "kindness yet, for the days of Auld Lang Syne."