第21部分(第4/7 頁)

e　few　who　had　not　lost　some　that　were　dear　to　them。　Thus　one　of　Sir　Theophilus’s　sons　was　killed；　and　for　a　while　he　thought　that　three　had　gone。　Afterwards　his　skeleton　was　recognised　by　some　peculiarity　connected　with　his　teeth。　Osborn　had　lost　a　son…inlaw；　and　so　on。　Personally　I　knew　many　of　the　officers　of　the　24th　who　fell；　but　the　one　I　mourned　most　was　the　gallant　Coghill；　with　whom　I　had　bee　very　friendly　when　he　was　at　Pretoria　as　aide…decamp　to　Sir　Arthur　Cunynghame。　He　was　a　peculiarly　light…hearted　young　man　full　of　good　stories；　some　of　which　I　remember　to　this　day。

As　the　reader　will　remember；　he　and　Melville　died　back　to　back　in　a　vain　attempt　to　save　the　colours　of　the　regiment；　which　colours　were　afterwards　recovered　from　the　bed　of　the　river。　I　would　refer　any　who　are　interested　in　this　sad　history　to　“The　True　Story　Book；”　published　by　Messrs。　Longmans　in　1893；　where　I　have　told　the　tale　of　Isandhlwana　and　Rorke’s　Drift。　That　account　may　be　taken　as　accurate；　for　two　reasons：　first；　I　was　well　acquainted　with　the　circumstances　at　the　time　and　saw　many　of　those　concerned　in　the　matter；　and；　secondly；　I　sent　the　proofs　to　be　checked　by　my　friend　Colonel　Essex；　who　was　one　of　the　three　or　four　officers　in　the　camp　who　survived　the　disaster；　as　subsequently　he　did　those　of　Laing’s　Nek　and　Ingogo。

I　remember　that　I　asked　Essex；　a　man　with　a　charmed　life　if　ever　such　a　gift　was　granted；　what　he　thought　of　during　that　terrible　ride　from　the　Place　of　the　Little　Hand　to　the　Buffalo　River。　He　told　me　that　all　he　could　remember　was　a　kind　of　refrain　which　came　into　his　mind。　It　ran；　“Essex；　you　——　fool；　you　had　a　chance　of　a　good　billet　at　home；　and　now；　Essex；　you　are　going　to　be　killed！”　The　story　has　a　certain　grim　humour；　also　it　shows　how　on