But To The Men Of The Imperial Light
Horse, Recruited As They Were From Among The British Refugees Of
The Rand, There Was Added A Burning Sense Of Injustice, And In Many
Cases A Bitter Hatred Against The Men Whose Rule Had Weighed So
Heavily Upon Them.
In this singular corps the ranks were full of
wealthy men and men of education, who, driven from their peaceful
vocations in Johannesburg, were bent upon fighting their way back
to them again.
A most unmerited slur had been cast upon their
courage in connection with the Jameson raid - a slur which they and
other similar corps have washed out for ever in their own blood and
that of their enemy. Chisholm, a fiery little Lancer, was in
command, with Karri Davis and Wools-Sampson, the two stalwarts who
had preferred Pretoria Gaol to the favours of Kruger, as his
majors. The troopers were on fire at the news that a cartel had
arrived in Ladysmith the night before, purporting to come from the
Johannesburg Boers and Hollanders, asking what uniform the Light
Horse wore, as they were anxious to meet them in battle. These men
were fellow townsmen and knew each other well. They need not have
troubled about the uniform, for before evening the Light Horse were
near enough for them to know their faces.
It was about eight o'clock on a bright summer morning that the
small force came in contact with a few scattered Boer outposts, who
retired, firing, before the advance of the Imperial Light Horse.
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