With the Second Contingent. LETTER FROM TROOPER W. BUTCHER. Kroonstadt, May 13.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 15, 5 July 1900, Page 3

With the Second Contingent. LETTER FROM TROOPER W. BUTCHER. Kroonstadt, May 13.

Just a line to let you know that I am still ia the land of the living. Since my last writing wo have had a pretty hot time of it, but I suppose you have heard all about it long before this. We had four days, in succession, of hard fighting, and during than time I got into some hot places. On the second day, 20 of our men, including myself, charged a kopje which was held by over 200 Boers, and after a hard fight, in whioh we got it hot, the bullets jggeoniing in showers, managed to drive them off. We oums out of the fight seathless, although several of our men had very close shaves. While I was in the act of firing, a bullet struck the rock behind which I was hiding, causing ma to duck, and, my gun going off at fche same time, I received a nasty knock on the shoulder, and it was a little stiff for the next two dayß. On the following, day we came upon the enemy again, ana had another tough go with them, capturing a Maxim gun. During this engagement we had the fire from a Boei? Maxim and rifles on our front, and the rifles of our own men on the left and rear ; bo you can imagine what it was like. One bullet struck within a foot of my face, blinding ma for about three minutes," Since then we have had several brushes wiih

Iho enemy 'ILc cth->r day, wink) till our Lays, v.ore riding along in extended order, the Boera turaed tli6j.r big guns on us, their shells landing and bursting on all bides. Jack Goldstone aacl I were nding close together v, hen one of the sh.MJa landed about nix or seven fp<~t behind our hoi-e-, hp rating vi.h a Ion 1 , in,, iwl covering us hi a c'juJl of ai.i-'-d ", )d JiMt, j.r.H wei-e Unh bi'"r:d \vi*h ''ho boat I on *' v ij brrsLjfj she]!. v Vo arc- nov ( .t il\ Mnstadt, irom 'licit' oh=. cntiuy lied on o;u approjtr]). To-mouow we macrh :| "'iui, on out way to Pretoria, and if you do not heat from a\- for sorertim° yon ltrow that I am unable to uasc, .is Ujo o'ilj chance we get *s when wo camp foi a day or two. Tho Boors are blowing up all the railway bridges on the way, and it will bo souio time before tho trains can <?efc nq far north as wo are at present. Even this letter may ho for a w&ek before it starts on its way home. "Wo had one of oar niuubor bhot boine httle tirae ago. The bullet went flirough his groins end ho died a day or two aftci wards. Ilia name was Smith, and ho eomos from the North Lsl;>nd. Om goneial gave us a taiknig to, the othei day, tor daring to attack a kopje, but ended up by aaving that our couduct was gallant and he felt proud to have such a body of man m his euui>_ua*j'] ; in i fact, he thought more of us than of any othor troop in his column. liuogirc- how " cocky " ye all felt after heuruiy this. The Aastralir.n', (Link a lot of u&, bus they don\, J:l.e the way iv -which we go into tho ho tics* places wo can find. Jack find Bob Go!dbto:iii and mysell are m tuo best of health.