ROPING IN THE REMNANT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2656, 30 December 1915, Page 9

ROPING IN THE REMNANT

WITH MAJOR GORDON ON THI OKAVANUO RIVER GRAPHIC. NARRATIVE OF THE CHASE The following from the "Livingstone Mail" of October 29 throws interesting light on the difficulties encountered in.Northern Rhodesia in running dowi the scattered bands of German mis chief-makers after the failure of the Maritz conspiracy:— . After we hoard of the capture ol Maritz wo were oxpecting to have a bit of a rest. On the morning of September 6 we parted from the Union troops, and crossed the Okavango Bivoi that afternoon. A runner arrived fron: Weinholt with a note to say that Ik hoard that a party of Germans witl camels had passed his old camp on tin Quito River. We started at onco, anc went to our provision camp that nighi (15 miles); we-put seven days' rations .on our pack-horses and orossed to the Quito on the 7tli. ' Here wo cut the camel spoor, and gathered from the natives that they had passed seven days previously. On the morning of the Bth we wore put on half rations, anc Major Gordon, Buchanan, Johnson, anc myself took up the spoor, going on aftei them. Weinholt, Lewis, and Rensburg were also on the spoor, two dayt in front of ns. A boy was sent back with instructions for a further supplj of rations to be sent on to us. We travelled between 25 and 30 miles a day.and ferassed our horses to about nine o'clock at night, having no mealies for-them. On the lltli, Major Gordoi: received a note from Weinholt, saying he was two days' behind, the camels, and that he -would let him know as soon as he got in touch with them, On the 12th we crossed the Quito Rivei at the same place as the Germans had gone over and the induna at a village here, who had no doubt been bribed, proved one of our biggest obstacles. He said he had 110 boats, and refused to give us boys. The crossing was very hard to find, and we were delayed several hours. lo finish up with, just as we got across, a brother induna rolled up to say that Weinholt had captured the Germans, and that lie'was coming down the other .side of the river. Major Gordon sent! a runner off at once with a.note to Weinholt, telling him what the indlina had said, bul that he would not alter his plans, and would continue on the cliase until he had a letter confirming the report, the danger now being that the Germans wo.uld get to know we were after them, and might take to the bush on their way to the Luiana, as they were un doubtedly trying to get through to German East, in which case our horses would be useless chasing camels, as the latter can travel . four days without water. The induna was made a prisoner, and we weiit twelve miles that night, flero \ye were put on' sentry for the first time. On the 13th, 'at our usual time (daylight)" we were again on the march, and had gono about two hours when Major Gordon's,runner returned from Wimliolt with a letter to say the Germans were about six miles jn front of him. He also stated that if they did not make another trek that night, he would try, to get in front of them,, and that, he expected an attack would be made in the morning. He was also afraid that they would take to the bush if they got wind of us. . We now put a couple of biscuits in our haversacks, loaded ourselves up with ammunition, left the pack-horses with Tom (who is mounted on a mule), and went on at a sharp trot for abont another 14 miles. Here we spotted the game we had been spooring so long. Looking; out of the bush which we were riding we sawalcaffir dug-out, and lylien wo put our glasses on it saw that there were two white men in German uniform in the boat and one native. We were ordered to dismount, get our horses in a clump-of thick bush, and crawl up to tho bank of the river. This was done with no delay, and then Major Gordon called on them to surrender. ,Ho • called about five times; and they still sat in the boat, and did not speak or move, and both of them had their rifles! lying across their legs. Johnson was told to fire a shot in front of the boat, and wo were ordered to fire-on them if they did not put up their hands at once. When the shot was fired the boy tumbled into the river, nearly upsetting the boat, and,' luckily for them, four hands went up at once. After a lot of persuasion they got the boy into the boat again, and, paddling witli their hands they reached the bank in a groat state of excitement. In the meantime we were expecting every moment that, some of the Germans would come on up through the hush, as we thought we were very near their" camp, and that the rifle shot would have given us away. Just as tho two we had captured wore handing nver their rifles Major Gordon shouted out "Men in the bush," and called on them to surrender, when out rushed aid Rensburg, one of Weinholt's men, with his. hands up. The bolts wero taken out of the Slauser rifles; and as Rensburg was not mounted the two prisoners were handed over to him. The information gathered from the prisoners was that the other Germans wore in front, and that they did not want to go with us, as they were afraid the.others would shoot them for surrendering. Whilo this was going on, our horses were brought up; we mounted, picked up the camel spoor again, and went off at a gallop. 'The boy who was in the dug-out had jumped .into the water as the boat landsd, got in amongst the reeds, and away from us, 'and there was the dangor that he would get to tho Germans before wo did. I believe ho is still running ! Luck appeared to be right with us, howovcr, and half a mile on who should gallop up to us but Weinholt and Lewis. They were expecting us, anel had been sitting watching the road where wo bad to pass. They said the Germans liaci made a morning trek, but could hardly believe us when we told them we had two prisoners. We did not stop, but went on as hard as our horses could go for four or five miles. It was bush nearly all the way, and it is a wonder to me that some of us did not "come, a cropper." The first sign of the enemy was a camel. We were ordered to dismount. The horses were handed over to Buchanan, who was instructed lo remain three or four' hundred yards behind us, and we took up our position, which bad been told off to us earlier in the day. Wo advanceel on the river at about 100 yards apart, each keening in touch with his neighbour. After we had crept through tho bush from free to tree for about 500 yards someone in oilr centre had spotted them, and,pointed, and when Major Gordon called on them to surrender there wore five rifles pointed at them ' from behind trees at a distance of about seventy yards. Again they had to be called oil (ivo or six times to surrender. and moved about very auspiciously 'for a time, but just in' time for themselves they put up their bands and asked us to go forward. This was immediately replied to by Major Gordon, who ordered them to come forward to lis, and the six men walked forward, were disarmed, and made prisoners. Thorn were now eight, with the two captured in the dug-out, and this agreed with the number the natives had given us. Tlioro wore fivo camels and one liorso. The whole tiling was handled very well; no excitement, everything was dono very nuieklv and not a moment W!i,t|.t!ll, Till! liiiKlllul Hhll.l fin 1 thn lit* taok waa to got them on tho majrah ol

give them an early morning call, but nothing conld have been better than the way it came off. Our horses were now brought in and oft-saddled for the third time, after having done a good 30 miles in a little over sis hours. I The native prisoner lias * been dealt with very leniently I consider. Perhaps it ivbs lucky for him thai; the Germans did not givo us the slip. We have now got our hands full'bossing up the prisoners, and wo arc all very fit and well pleased with our bag.