UNKNOWN

Manawatu Standard, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 6710, 31 May 1900, Page 4

UNKNOWN

AN ESCAPED PRISONER'S EX

PERIENCES

Tloe following incidents are derived from a prisoner who fell ioto the hands of the Boers in the engagement on the 31st March, between them and General Bvoadwood, near the Modder River Waterworks. The man, who is an extremely intelligent native, and who dexterously escaped, says that in order to entrap our forces the Boers had placed themselves in a terrible trap, from which they never could have escaped had their presence been detected by our men, and measures t^ken to attack them They were huddled up with their horse 3in a deeu spruit, and were afraid to put their heads up to fire. A Fu-ld cornet went so far as to suggest tiiufc they were being surrounded, end should mak9 a bolt in time. Others said, " Wait a bit, we shall scare the soldiers." The Boers, in spite of capturing the wagon train and prisoners, suffered considerable loss. Thirteen of them were buried near the drift, and some dead bodies of leading men were carried away. A good many of the wounded were loaded up on the waggons. The narrator describes a duel between two Boers and two soldiers, in which both Boers were ki led, one being sliced through the shoulder with a s^-ord, and the other lanced. The prisoner was stunned by a Boer with a | sjambok and was grazed by a bullet, j whilst he was mada to stand up and allow his shoulder to be used as a rifle rest; he was made a shield of. His clothes were taken from him for the alleged purpose of clothing an afterrider, bud the next morning the Boor was seen wearing the whole kit himself, hat included.