樂極生悲 - 古德明

                
                
A British soldier who took part in the Boer War wrote about an incident that occurred in March 1902.
I and five others were allowed to ride into Picquetburg to buy some stores. When we got there we separated and agreed to meet in the evening to return together. This we did, and it happened that three - Hodges, Houslopp, and Phillips - had been larking about in a merry mood. We went on together half the way, and then I and two others cantered on, leaving the three to come on by themselves. We had just arrived in camp when Phillips came galloping in and said Hodges had killed Houslopp. A troop of men were at once despatched to the spot, and found that Hodges had blown his brains out as well. It appears that Hodges said he could hit Houslopp's hat off at a distance of 20 yards. He tried, with a fatal result.
參與波爾戰爭的一名英軍，記錄了一九零二年三月發生的一件事。
我和五名同袍，獲許到皮凱伯格購買補給，到達之後，大家分頭行事，約定傍晚會合，一起回營。會合時，發覺霍奇斯、豪斯洛、菲利普斯三人那天玩了個痛快。我們一起走，走到半路，我和另外兩人策馬慢跑，留下他們三人自己回去，但我們剛到營中，菲利斯普就策馬急馳而至，說霍奇斯把豪斯洛殺死了。我們一隊人馬上趕去現場，發覺霍奇斯也自轟頭顱死了。原來他說可以在二十碼之外，開槍轟掉豪斯洛的帽子。他要一試身手，結果傷了人命。