The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume XII, No. 2 [‎304v] (111/154)

198
OBITUARY'.
I have referred to his undaunted pluck. If the quality of courage is one that
admits of many varieties, then I can say with confidence that Woodthorpe possessed
them all. He was of the stuff that makes Y.C. heroes, though he never won
that distinction. I watched him once when he was within a measurable distance
of it, but on that occasion the race was to the swift, and he just failed to win. It
happened thus. I had taken a powerful survey telescope to the top of that
Sherpur gateway on which General Roberts was watching the progress of ithe
fighting on the Asmai hills before him. The distance was too great to distinguish
the different regiments with the naked eye, but near enough to admit of recognizing
individuals with a good telescope. So I reported progress, whilst the general
walked up and down the narrow space of the roof. I watched a cloud of skirmishers
(72nd and Guides) struggle up the heights held by the enemy, till they appeared
on the sky-line, where they broke right and left to clear the ridge. I knew that
Woodthorpe was with them, and was certain that he would be in the first flight.
On the left, balanced on the very apex of the mountain, was a stone-built suugur,
from which the plucky defenders declined to move. I could watch them waiting
and reserving their fire to the last, meaning to die (as they did die), every man of
them, where they stood. In front of the sungur, flat against the sky-line, was
50 yards or so of open sward ; at the end of this a rocky bit of cover. Gradually
behind the cover a little band collected, and I waited, with intense expectancy, to
see who would be first over the flat and into that sungur. It was a gallant corporal
of the 72nd who first broke away from the cover of the rocks. He was speedily
followed by a small group, headed by the easily recognized figure of my chum.
But he was a second or two too late this time. Corporal Sellar was not to be
caught. He reached the foot of the sungur first; and then there appeared on the
crest of it a figure which seemed gigantic, as, with flowing robes streaming in the
wind, and uplifted arms, he dashed down a heavy stone on to the luckless corporal,
and sent him, doubled up in a heap, many yards down the hillside. What followed
I did not see ; but every Afghan died a soldier’s death, whilst Corporal Sellar picked
himself up and won a soldier’s reward—the Victoria cross. More than once have I
discussed this little episode with Woodthorpe, and he admitted that for once
he was thoroughly exhausted. During the fighting that took place round
Kabul, whilst that nevt r-to-be-forgotten December dragged on, Woodthorpe was
always to the front, and once had his clothes torn by a bullet and was again
slightly wounded, but he was never ill, and never lost that contagious cheeri
ness which lightened those gloomy days like sunshine. A well-deserved brevet
lieut.-colonelcy rewarded him for his share in the second phase of the Afghan
campaign.
There are people who maintain that physical courage* in action is a useful
idiosyncrasy much to be encouraged amongst soldiers, but that it fails to
prove the existence of any moral force of character; so I will add another little
story.
Woodthorpe was alone this time—alone and deserted by most of his servants
in a pestiferous jungle—when cholera gripped his camp. There was no sustaining
excitement now, and he feared cholera personally with a deadly feir. There was
no doctor, and he could get no assistance, so he worked by himself amongst his
dying coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. ; and if he could not stay the terrible enemy, he waited till the end,
and then sewed the bodies up in coarse sackcloth with his own hands, and buried
them. De.id or alive, he would not desert his coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. , and yet it is not too much
to say that they were drawn from the scum of Assam. He “ funked ” the cholera,
as he said, and of course he got it. Having got it, he told me that he funked it
no longer—and he got over it.