CAPTAIN BAUCHOP'S GALLANT DEED.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 27 June 1901, Page 4

CAPTAIN BAUCHOP'S GALLANT DEED.

Told by an Australian.

Lieutenant Macdonald, formerly of Coleraine, Victoria, and now attached to one of the New Zealand Contingents, in a recent letter gives the following account of a fine act performed by Captain Bauchop, of Port Chalmers, Lieutenant Macdonald says : —" I have set down a plain, unvarnished tale—a bare, bald narritive of a gallant deed—purposely refraining from dwelling on the deadly crackle of rifles and the hail of lead under which it was so daringly accomplished, But I hope I have made it clear that Port Chalmers had reason to bo proud of her representative. Men have got the V.C. for less."

He thus describes the occurrence:—

"Captain Bauchop, who had been acting on the left flank with the Yeomanry, wa3 retiring with them when ha saw a Yeomanry trooper named Craig endeavouring to drag an exhausted horse along. The bullets were flying fust, and Bauchop advised the man to shoot the horse and run. A Yeomanry officer rode up, and borrowing the man's bayonet, tried to urge the horse along, when a Boer bullet put an end to the difficulty by killing the animal. "The Boers were now within GOOyards. 'Run, man, run 1' shouted the Yeomanry officer, as he galloped on after his squadron, while Craig ran for his life with the bullets humming about his ears.

I " Craig who was complefcaly ' blown and beat,'grasped out in unmistakale Scotch—"'No, no, sir; I can't do that. You're an officer, sir. I can't conscientiously take your horse.' " ' Get up,' said Bauchop ; 'l'm fresh and your done. You're only making us a target here.' "'No, sir, no! You go back,' said Craig ; 'l'll manage to run.' " ' Mount,' cried Bauchop '. hang it, do you think I came here to argue with you.

"The nearest cover was the belt of timber at the foot of the conical kopje, about three-quarters of a mile away. Baucliop and the Imperial Yeomanry officer had got about half-way to this cover, when they pulled up and looked round. " 'That man will lose his life if something isn't done,' said the Imperial Yeomanry officer.

" ' Yes,' said Baucliop, I'm going back for him,' and, putting spurs to his horse, he galloped back towai'ds those cracking rifles. Before he had got 100 yards a bullet thudded into his horse's flank, but he kept on till he reached the man, and, jumping off, told him to mount. "But the horse, trembling with the pain of its wound, excited by the firing, and anxious to get ba»ic to its companions, whined and neighed, and would not stand still. 'Swish,' 'fipp', came the bullets, while Bauchop held the animal by the head, and as Craig was mounting, it was hit behind the shoulder.

" 'Your horse is bit again, sir,' cried Craig. "'Never mind; he'll carry you to the timber,' replied Bauchop as he freed the horse's head, and tho poor brute, maddened by the pain, bolted for the bush, with Craig hanging on as best he could, and there fell dead.

"Irf the meantime tho Yeomanry had reached the timber, and were replying to the Boer fire, as the New Zealand captain, who was risking his life for one of their men, sped over that bullet-swept stretch of open veldt. Bauckop's cross-country runs of other days stood him in good stead now. He was sound in wind and limb, and he ran as he had never run before, the bullets flicking up the dust about his feet. He ran until he dropped. Then the Yeomanry officer galloped out, and, dismounting, gave Bauchop "his horse while he took his turn at the race for life. Next, Lieut. Bnrgoyne (of the signalling staff) galloped out, taking the Yeomanry officer up behind him, rode back with him to the timber. And then the principal actors in the scene had time to laugh and congratulate each other on their miraculous escape. "