How did turnovers affect the Warriors’ performance against the Timberwolves. What impact did Gary Payton II have in his return to the team. How does this loss affect the Warriors’ playoff positioning.
Warriors’ Late-Game Collapse: A Closer Look at Crucial Turnovers
The Golden State Warriors suffered a heartbreaking 99-96 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Chase Center, squandering a golden opportunity to secure a valuable playoff tiebreaker. This defeat, just their eighth at home this season, dealt a significant blow to the Warriors’ late-season momentum. Let’s delve into the key factors that led to this disappointing outcome.
With 27.7 seconds left and a slim 96-95 lead, the Warriors seemed poised for victory. However, a series of critical errors in the final moments proved costly. Draymond Green’s risky pass attempt to Stephen Curry was intercepted by Kyle Anderson, leading to a go-ahead three-pointer by Karl-Anthony Towns. The Warriors’ final possession ended in another turnover, sealing their fate.
The Turnover Epidemic
Turnovers have plagued the Warriors throughout the 2022-23 season, and this game was no exception. The team committed 16 turnovers, resulting in 24 points for the Timberwolves. The fourth quarter alone saw five giveaways, leading to 10 Minnesota points. Green led the turnover count with five, while Curry, Klay Thompson, and Jordan Poole each contributed three.
- 16 total turnovers
- 24 points off turnovers for Minnesota
- 5 fourth-quarter turnovers leading to 10 points
- Draymond Green: 5 turnovers
- Curry, Thompson, Poole: 3 turnovers each
These turnovers not only cost the Warriors valuable possessions but also fueled the Timberwolves’ transition offense, creating momentum shifts throughout the game.
The Impact of Kyle Anderson’s Defensive Prowess
Kyle Anderson’s defensive efforts proved instrumental in the Timberwolves’ victory. His long arms and anticipation skills disrupted the Warriors’ offense on multiple occasions. Anderson’s steal from Green in the closing seconds was the most crucial, but it wasn’t his only impactful play.
Earlier in the game, Anderson made a key steal late in the third quarter, resulting in a potential six-point swing. He followed that up with another deflection in the fourth quarter, thwarting a Warriors fast break and setting up a three-pointer for Naz Reid. These plays highlight the importance of defensive intensity and how it can change the course of a close game.
Gary Payton II’s Return: A Silver Lining for the Warriors
Despite the loss, the Warriors saw a promising performance from Gary Payton II in his first game back since being re-acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers. While his stat line may not jump off the page (9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block), Payton’s impact went far beyond the box score.
Payton’s Defensive Impact
Payton’s defensive prowess was on full display, particularly in his matchup against Anthony Edwards. His ability to apply ball pressure and disrupt opponents’ offensive flow was evident throughout his 15 minutes on the court. One notable sequence saw Payton draw an offensive foul on Karl-Anthony Towns, energizing the Chase Center crowd.
Contribution to Offensive Flow
On the offensive end, Payton’s understanding of floor spacing and off-ball movement created opportunities for his teammates. His presence on the court during the Warriors’ early fourth-quarter comeback showcased the two-way dynamism he brings to the team.
As Payton continues to acclimate to the Warriors’ system once again, his impact is likely to grow, potentially addressing some of the team’s defensive and turnover issues.
Implications for Warriors’ Playoff Positioning
This loss carries significant weight for the Warriors’ playoff aspirations. With the Western Conference standings incredibly tight, every game holds immense importance. How does this defeat affect Golden State’s positioning?
- Missed opportunity to gain a tiebreaker advantage over Minnesota
- Potential drop in seeding, making the path to a top-6 seed more challenging
- Increased pressure on upcoming games to maintain playoff position
The Warriors now face an uphill battle to secure a favorable playoff seed, with each remaining game taking on added significance.
Analyzing the Warriors’ Clutch Performance
The Warriors’ struggles in clutch situations have been a recurring theme throughout the 2022-23 season. This game against the Timberwolves further highlighted their difficulties in executing during high-pressure moments. What factors contribute to their clutch-time woes?
- Turnover proneness in critical moments
- Inconsistent half-court execution
- Difficulty maintaining leads in the fourth quarter
- Pressure on key players leading to forced plays
Addressing these issues will be crucial for the Warriors as they look to make a deep playoff run. The team’s veteran leadership and championship experience should theoretically provide an advantage in clutch situations, but they’ve yet to consistently demonstrate this strength this season.
The Return of Karl-Anthony Towns: A Game-Changing Factor
Karl-Anthony Towns’ performance in just his second game back from a lengthy calf injury proved pivotal for the Timberwolves. His go-ahead three-pointer in the final seconds showcased his ability to impact games even as he works his way back to full fitness. How does Towns’ return change the dynamics for Minnesota?
- Adds a versatile scoring threat to the Timberwolves’ offense
- Provides valuable spacing, opening up opportunities for teammates
- Brings leadership and experience to a young, talented roster
- Increases Minnesota’s depth and rotational options
As Towns continues to integrate back into the lineup, the Timberwolves could become an even more formidable opponent in the Western Conference playoff race.
Lessons Learned: Areas for Improvement for the Warriors
This loss, while disappointing, provides valuable insights for the Warriors as they approach the final stretch of the regular season. What key areas should they focus on improving?
Ball Security
Reducing turnovers must be a top priority. The Warriors’ propensity for risky passes and careless ball-handling has cost them numerous games this season. Emphasizing ball security in practice and game situations could lead to significant improvements in their overall performance.
Clutch Execution
Developing more reliable offensive sets for late-game situations could help the Warriors avoid the type of collapse seen against the Timberwolves. This might involve simplifying plays, identifying optimal matchups, or refining communication among players in high-pressure moments.
Defensive Consistency
While the Warriors’ defense has shown flashes of brilliance, maintaining that intensity throughout entire games remains a challenge. Focusing on defensive rotations, communication, and individual accountability could help minimize opponents’ scoring opportunities, particularly in transition following turnovers.
Integrating Gary Payton II
As Payton becomes more comfortable in his return to the Warriors’ system, finding ways to maximize his defensive impact while optimizing offensive spacing will be crucial. His unique skill set could provide a significant boost to the team’s performance on both ends of the court.
By addressing these areas, the Warriors can work towards regaining the consistency and clutch performance that have defined their championship runs in recent years. The talent and experience within the roster suggest that improvements are possible, but time is running short as the playoffs approach.
The Road Ahead: Warriors’ Playoff Push
With the regular season winding down, every game takes on added significance for the Warriors. How can they bounce back from this disappointing loss and position themselves for postseason success?
- Maintain focus on winnable games against lower-ranked opponents
- Emphasize the importance of securing home-court advantage in the first round
- Continue to integrate Gary Payton II and optimize rotations
- Address turnover issues through targeted practice and game planning
- Build on positive defensive performances to establish consistency
The Warriors’ championship pedigree and wealth of playoff experience provide reason for optimism despite their recent struggles. However, translating that potential into consistent on-court success will be crucial as they navigate the final weeks of the regular season and prepare for the intensity of the playoffs.
As the Western Conference playoff race remains tightly contested, the Warriors must view each remaining game as an opportunity to solidify their position and build momentum. Their ability to learn from losses like this one against the Timberwolves and make necessary adjustments will likely determine their postseason fate.
The return of Gary Payton II adds an intriguing element to the Warriors’ roster, potentially addressing some of their defensive concerns and providing a spark in transition. As he becomes more integrated into the team’s rotations, his impact could grow significantly, offering a valuable weapon for the playoff push.
Ultimately, the Warriors’ success will hinge on their ability to minimize turnovers, execute in clutch situations, and maintain defensive intensity for full 48-minute performances. If they can address these areas of concern while leveraging their considerable talents and experience, they remain a formidable threat in the Western Conference playoff picture.
As the regular season enters its final stages, every possession, every defensive stop, and every clutch moment takes on added significance. The Warriors have shown flashes of their championship-caliber play throughout the season, but consistency has eluded them. Now, with the playoffs on the horizon, is the time for them to put all the pieces together and make a strong push towards another title run.
The loss to the Timberwolves serves as both a wake-up call and a learning opportunity. How the Warriors respond in their upcoming games will reveal much about their resilience, adaptability, and championship mettle. With their core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green leading the way, and the addition of Gary Payton II bolstering their defensive capabilities, the Warriors still possess the ingredients for a deep playoff run.
As they move forward, the Warriors must focus on sharpening their execution, reducing turnovers, and maintaining their defensive intensity. If they can transform the disappointment of this loss into motivation and tangible improvements on the court, they may yet emerge as a force to be reckoned with when the playoffs begin.
The coming weeks will be crucial for the Warriors as they seek to secure their playoff position and build momentum. Each game presents an opportunity to fine-tune their strategies, solidify their rotations, and demonstrate the championship-level play that has defined their dynasty. While the road ahead may be challenging, the Warriors have repeatedly shown their ability to rise to the occasion when it matters most.
As the regular season races towards its conclusion, all eyes will be on the Warriors to see if they can overcome their inconsistencies and emerge as true contenders once again. Their journey from this point forward will not only shape their playoff seeding but also set the tone for their postseason aspirations. With their blend of veteran leadership, emerging young talent, and the defensive boost provided by Gary Payton II, the Warriors remain a team capable of making noise in the playoffs, provided they can learn from setbacks like this loss to the Timberwolves and elevate their game when it matters most.
Turnovers doom Dubs in clutch loss to Wolves
The Golden State Warriors wasted some palpable late-season momentum and a perfect opportunity to earn playoff tie-breaker on Sunday, falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves 99-96 at Chase Center. Here are three reactions—with related film and analysis—on the Dubs’ extremely disappointing loss, just their eighth at home this season.
Turnovers doom Warriors
First things first: Golden State should’ve won this game.
Steve Kerr’s team held a 96-95 lead after Rudy Gobert made his second free throw with 27.7 seconds left, seemingly en route to a hard-fought victory as Minnesota—with just a three-second differential between shot and game clock—would be forced to foul if it didn’t create a turnover. The Wolves did well pressuring the Warriors in the backcourt and past halfcourt, forcing a series of quick passes while racing across the floor for a would-be game-changing steal.
The Warriors seemed to have avoided that fate when Draymond Green caught the ball with 16 seconds left just inside the halfcourt logo.
Instead of goading a taken foul or dribbling toward a superior free throw shooter before giving the ball up, though, Green tried a risky pass to Steph Curry that was easily picked off by the long arms of Kyle Anderson.
Disaster turned catastrophe moments later, as Karl-Anthony Towns—in just his second game back from a calf injury that cost him the season’s majority—cashed a go-ahead triple in transition.
At least Golden State would have the chance to atone for Green’s error, right? But instead of tying the game just before the final buzzer or winning it with a triple in walk-off fashion, the Warriors’ mind-numbing penchant for turnovers reared its ugly head again.
No one who’s watched this team throughout 2022-23, unfortunately, could’ve been all that surprised by Golden State’s damning crunch-time miscues. The Warriors gave up a double-digit fourth quarter lead to the Timberwolves the last time these teams met amid a rash of careless turnovers. They’ve been among the league’s worst clutch teams all season mostly due to a damning lack of half-court execution.
Making Green and Poole’s turnovers—on the latter of which Curry deserves at least some blame, as he suggested by tapping his chest—even less shocking? They were the mere continuation of the same game-long problem.
This steal by Anderson late in the third quarter resulted in a potential six-point swing.
Slo Mo got yet another deflection steal high up the floor in the fourth quarter, thwarting a Warriors break off a nasty block by Gary Payton II and netting Naz Reid a three in transition.
This hair-pulling turnover from Green—a consequence of getting re-acclimated to playing with Payton, it bears mentioning—was the home team’s third in as many possessions, following Poole’s gaffe above and another from Curry.
The Wolves scored 24 points off 16 Golden State turnovers on Sunday, including 10 on five giveaways in the fourth quarter alone.
Who accounted for the Warriors’ turnover woes, by the way? Green had five to himself, while Poole, Curry and Klay Thompson each committed three turnovers.
None of their less-heralded teammates had more than one, an indication of the highs and lows Golden State’s stars reached in a game that could’ve gone a long way toward ensuring their team gets a top-six seed in the postseason.
The Gary Payton II effect is real
Young Glove made his second Warriors debut in as many seasons against the Wolves, playing for the first time since he was re-acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers at the trade deadline. Payton’s numbers—nine points, two rebounds, one assist and a block—don’t scream major impact, and he racked up a team-worst -9 plus-minus in 15 minutes off the bench.
Don’t let raw box score stats and the fickle nature of single-game plus-minus fool you. Payton’s fingerprints were all over Golden State’s early fourth quarter comeback, a preview of the two-way dynamism he’ll once again regularly provide this team upon getting back up to full speed.
Check out this sequence, beginning just above the nine-minute mark of the final stanza.
Live and breathe the NBA?
🚨 Get viral NBA graphics, memes, rumors and trending news delivered right to your inbox with the Clutch Newsletter.
Payton turns to body up the bigger Jaden McDaniels as the shot goes up, allowing Curry to corral the long board. Then he runs the floor in transition, eyes on Curry the whole time as he readies in his favorite spot for a splashed corner three. Payton’s ball pressure on Anderson draws on offensive foul on Towns shortly thereafter, bringing Chase Center to its feet.
Payton’s presence was felt pretty much whenever he was on the floor, and not just because he shut down a passive Anthony Edwards—returning from an ugly ankle sprain—one-on-one.
Think plays like this could’ve helped Golden State during this wild, consistently inconsistent regular season?
Payton took all of Moses Moody’s minutes on Sunday, and was on the floor alongside Curry, Thompson, Green and Looney for a brief fourth quarter stint before Poole got him with 4:22 remaining.
He didn’t get off the bench again.
It’s already abundantly clear how much Kerr trusts Payton, but also obvious he’s still getting comfortable back in his old shoes. Expect him to get more playing time than he did versus Minnesota over the last seven games of the regular season, steeling both Payton—and his teammates—for a bigger role to come when the level competition rises in the postseason.
Attacking the Timberwolves’ twin towers
No team is better equipped to exploit drop coverage than the Warriors. With Towns back in the fold, Minnesota might be the only team in basketball whose preference is to keep both its starting bigs from defending the perimeter.
Golden State came out ready to attack the Wolves’ twin towers, spamming variations of the same double ball screen for Curry. Whether Towns and Gobert were each involved in the primary action, the Warriors made sure both would be stretched beyond their limits defensively.
RECOMMENDED
Jack Winter ·
Jack Winter ·
Sam DiGiovanni ·
Curry re-located for a corner three on the Dubs’ third possession of the game, after Towns received a back screen from Thompson following his initial help and Gobert was left scrambling by Looney’s roll and Draymond’s simultaneous hand-off.
Look how confused Towns is dealing with another pair of screens late in the first half.
He and Gobert ultimately opt against switching Looney’s pick for Green, Towns quickly falling behind the play as Curry follows his pass into a hand-off. Gobert has no chance for an effective contest on Curry’s floater after Looney’s second screen wipes out Mike Conley.
The Warriors go back that same general look two trips later, but with Towns defending the second screener.
Towns is forced to meet Curry on the other side of Green’s pick as Conley recovers, then immediately retreats back to the paint as the reigning MVP shuffles the ball to Looney in the corner. Big mistake. Curry knows Gobert won’t leave the paint to rush him, seamlessly floating behind Looney for another re-locate corner triple he didn’t need to see slash through the net.
Double screen variants were hardly the only way Golden State attacked the Wolves’ extreme reluctance to hedge on the ball or outright switch with their bigs on Sunday.
Curry got loose out of a few simple 1-5 high actions, found Green on the roll via an empty side ball screen—that yielded a flagrant foul on Gobert—and drained another corner three after inbounding fast to Green and collecting his tap of a hand-off. Poole hit a crucial pull two in the fourth quarter after taking a re-screen from Green as Gobert waited in the paint, too, then later found Looney on the roll with a bounce pass as Gobert finally committed toward the ball, producing a crucial crunch-time free throw.
But Minnesota never looked less comfortable defensively than when Golden State dared both Towns and Gobert to venture to the perimeter. If only Chris Finch didn’t have the good sense to keep their shared minutes to a relative minimum, the Warriors’ offense might’ve found the sustained continuity it was lacking from the opening tip.
Tags: Draymond Green, Gary Payton II, Jordan Poole, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, Stephen Curry
Lethal Performance 10111 Street Warrior Clutch Kit
– Paramount Speed
- Reliable Clutch from Street to Track
- More Durability than Stock Clutch
- Handles Up to 700 HP and 700 ft/lbs of Torque
- Dual Face Ceramic Friction Disc
- 11 inch Disc Diameter
- SFI Approved Kit
- Mechanical Experience Required for Installation
- Does NOT Bolt Up to an OEM Flywheel with Factory 9-Bolt Pressure Plate
- Fits 2011-2017 GT / 2012-2013 Boss 302 Mustangs with a 23-Spline MT-82 Transmission
For the Track or Street.
Head from the street to the track with the Lethal Performance Street Warrior Clutch Kit. This Street Warrior Clutch Kit is designed to provide the reliability you require in a street/track clutch as you rev your 700 horsepower and 700 ft./lbs. torque engine. Finally get the holding power you’ve been looking for and the durability for both street driving, and a bit of track racing.
Ceramic Disc. Featuring a dual-faced ceramic friction disc; this Street Warrior Clutch Kit provides smooth engagement and awesome holding power making it the perfect performance upgrade for street and track use.
Kit Includes. The Lethal Performance Street Warrior Clutch Kit all-in-one kit has everything you need for the job at hand; it contains a high clamp load pressure plate diaphragm, a dual faced bronze disc and a 1″ x 23 spline alignment tool.
SFI Certified. If you’re using this Lethal Performance Street Warrior Clutch Kit in high performance or racing applications, SFI Certification is critical so you can run your Pony at the track or strip.
And it’s great for peace of mind even in a daily driver.
Recommended Upgrade. It’s recommended that you add a Braided Stainless Steel Hydraulic Clutch Line during your new clutch install. Stock plastic clutch lines can fail during aggressive driving. Stainless steel clutch lines help prevent gear lockout and provide superior clutch pedal feel, even under the toughest conditions. See options above.
Professional Installation Recommended. The installation is intricate, so mechanical experience is highly recommended. Follow the included Lethal Performance Street Warrior instructions for best results.
Application. The Lethal Performance Street Warrior Clutch Kit fits 2011-2017 GT / 2012-2013 Boss 302 Mustangs with a maximum 700 crank hp/torque, moderate engine modifications and street tires; it is designed for use with a MT-82 manual 23-spline transmission.
Specifications:
- Does NOT Bolt Up to an OEM Flywheel with Factory 9-Bolt Pressure Plate
- Designed for a 23-spline MT-82 transmission
- Disc Dimensions: 11″ X 23T X 1″
- Horse Power Rating: Up to 700
- Torque Rating: Up to 700
- Includes: Pressure plate, dual clutch disc and alignment tool
Technical Note.
The 2005+ Mustang uses a concentric slave cylinder instead of a conventional throw-out bearing. Therefore this clutch kit will not include a throw-out bearing.
Wall panel-Head of a horse. Description of work | Masters Fair Magazine
Dmitry Mitrofanov’s workshop (vmetalle)
Good afternoon! I bring to your attention a wall panel-head of a horse.
I think ladies will be interested too.
Artwork description:
I’ll tell you how I made a horse’s head from metal and spare parts. In my work I used a grinder and a welding inverter, cooked with electrodes. The gas at the PA ran out, and my hands itched …
I chose the silhouette of a horse from the Internet. Based on the motives, so to speak …
I printed out a photo, divided it in half with a vertical line. I took a large sheet of metal from the refrigerator, drew the contours of the silhouette with a marker, approximately 2.5 times larger. I welded pieces of bent reinforcement along the contour.
The fittings were already bent, from the metal receiving, so I cut out the pieces needed for the bend, combined them.
Sawed off a sector from the automatic transmission donut like the cheek of a horse’s muzzle. The nose, or rather the nostril, was already prepared, I knew what I would do in advance. To the cheek, I added the Moskvich gearbox synchronizer ring to lengthen it, then covered it with a more interesting one from the axle gearbox.
Eye-part of the lower ball joint from Moskvich 2140, Eyebrows and eye contour made from an early clutch fork of the same 412 Moskvich. Cast, not stamped later.
I like to work with old cast parts and pieces of iron, 50-80 years old, they are like living muscles, openwork, artistic, they have an interesting shape, they are more human. One feels that people applied their imagination, their time, their soul. And modern stamping is direct, soulless and cheap. Well, it was a lyrical digression. Let’s go further ..
.
Parts of the muzzle, this is the gearshift rod, on which the handle, the VAZ box and the trunk opening handle of the Moskvich 407 are put on. Tried different parts, it’s not that. Until I finally spotted the right thing in a ½ inch pipe angle. And I picked up the second part from the hydraulic jack, the one where the lever is inserted. The ears are made from parts of the same automatic transmission donut. Just cut out a part.
True, they said that they look like donkeys, but for me they show pressure and movement. The mane was cut out of sheet metal by a grinder, simply by drawing chaotic flames.
Clutch disc with ferodo cut off and chain added along the contour added for beauty and space filling. I will bend the mane in different directions, for the effect of “wind in my ears”. Then I etched it with phosphoric acid, extinguished it with soda, and cleaned it again.
Well, then, according to the taste of fastening, you can loop the back under a strong bolt and on the wall, or you can fix it in a wooden frame, if you wish.
And painting.
Create! Take the first step, turn on your imagination and you will succeed.
Dmitry Mitrofanov, ex-lead engineer, St. Petersburg
Rating
☆
☆
☆
☆
☆
900 56
0.0
(0 votes)
Dmitry Mitrofanov Workshop (vmetalle)
Russia, St. Petersburg
Store
Blog (12)
Follow the work of the master
Related blogs
Keywords
- Keywords
- horse
- stallion
- mustang
- horse
- horse
- horse
- creative
- composition
- metal
- welding
- recycling
- art
- scrap
- metal
- art object
- wall panel
- wind
- power
- mane
- ears
Blog headings
Store news
Promotions and sales
Personal Records
Louis Boussinard Captain Rip-Head Read
CHAPTER 6
Crazy ride.
– IN
train. – The train is undermined! – Desperate efforts. – Under fire. –
Break the head and Joubert. – Punctured lung. — Doctor Tromp. –
Black, but not black. – About how Fanfan “got out”.
Road
was fairly straight, but nasty, if you can even call the road paved
wagons.
On her
construction did not have to be spent. No one bothered with her track, no one
he took care to pave it with stone, to dig gutters on the sides. Oh no!
It originated quite differently. Someone had to travel from one village to
to another. He harnessed a pair of oxen to the wagon and drove straight ahead. For the first
the cart was followed by the second, then the third … Thus, over time, a
wide track. And it was called dear!
Wagons
moved along it easily, it suited pedestrians, and sometimes even cyclists,
as evidenced by the fact that Sorvi-head and Fanfan drove through it without
stops forty-six kilometers separating Jakobsdal from Emmaus.
But what
especially remarkable: they spent only four hours on it! Certainly,
on the roads of the Seine-et-Marne department [65]
such a record would seem more than modest, but for an orange road
this speed is amazing!
And if k
to this add another seventeen kilometers, which they traveled from the Cronje camp
to Jakobsdal, and the passage through the Modder, and the battle with the lancers, then everyone willingly
agrees that both Milk-Suckers were by no means “hats”.
In Emmaus, tiny
town with a biblical name, had to make a stop. All local
the men were at war; only old people, women and children remained in the town.
Rip-head
I would prefer, however, to rush without respite to another village, twenty
four kilometers from here, but Fanfan protested:
– Herring
with apples and raw onions made a damn fire in me. Master, please treat me
poor Fanfan even with a mug of beer, or milk, or some cheap
wine, or even just fresh water! Anything, just to get drunk! I beg
you!
Rip-head
laughed and entered the nearest house. Bizarrely confusing English words with
Dutch, he asked for some milk. The mistress of the house, a young woman,
looked at him with disbelief. Then Rip-head remembered the pass
Cronje and showed it to his interlocutor. Everything changed instantly. To the milk-suckers
lavished smiles, shook hands with them, offered them a rest, certainly wanted
to feed them all sorts of things, in a word, they were ready to turn the whole house over for them
upside down.
– Thank you!
Milk, only milk,” Jean said.
Immediately
brought milk. He was carried in pots, jugs, buckets: there was something
quench the thirst of an entire company!
Fanfan
drank, at the risk of bursting, Tear off the head – more moderately. Drunk, both, despite
the most insistent entreaties to stay, jumped on their bicycles and rode
further.
Way from
Emmaus to the nearest village, where they stopped, passed without incident.
They spent the night in a Boer family, who showed them brotherly and most
generous hospitality.
Both
The milk-suckers fell asleep with the sleep of the righteous, but, like true warriors, they woke up with the dawn,
We ate quickly and drove on.
Before
Bloemfontein was still eighty-four kilometers away. Halfway had to
to ford the Kraal, a tributary of the Modder, that is, in other words, to swim.
This more than difficult stage was completed in eight hours, including three
half hour stops.
B
Bloemfontein arrived at four o’clock. Not even allowing themselves to explore the city, they
went straight to the station. However, this small town was deprived of any
there were no sights. Ten thousand inhabitants; too new and
too pretentious houses, which, moreover, were completely lost on prohibitively
wide streets. Cronje’s pass opened all the doors for the Molokosos here too.
But
it turned out that there was not a single train to Winburg from here. Trains only ran to
Pretoria and back. They had to get to Kronstad, so that from there on
bicycles to get to Bethlehem. In fact, there was no particular trouble, because
that the road from Winburg to Bethlehem is one of the worst in Orange
republic.
From
Bloemfontein to Kronstad is one hundred and twenty miles, or two hundred and twenty-two kilometers.
Trains run at a speed of no more than twenty-five kilometers per hour, and sometimes they
speed does not exceed even fifteen or sixteen kilometers.
Taking into account
possible delays, friends calculated that this path would take them about
fifteen o’clock.
They were
excited. Just think: sleep and at the same time move forward!
– After all
we are not bulls, in fact,” Fanfan philosophized.
At six
a freight train departed for Pretoria. In one of his cars comfortably
arranged for the envoys of Cronje, who were already beginning to tire. Having received two armfuls of straw,
they made beds for themselves, from which they had already weaned. Then they checked
loading bicycles and fell into a heroic sleep.
Train
slowly started and rolled. From time to time he stopped, whistled,
puffed, started moving again, and so – hour after hour.
Passed
night, day has come. The milksuckers woke up, ate, drank and collapsed again
sleep. They now had no choice but to be philosophical about running.
time.
Passed
another day, or rather a part of the day. The train crawled slower and slower.
IN
The Transvaal paths were as heavily cluttered as those in the Orange Republic.
Kronstad.
Finally! Their journey lasted a whole day! Break your head and Fanfan, absolutely
stiff with immobility, they were glad to rush along the country roads again.
Oni
We drove thirty miles without stopping. We had to make a halt for the night. On
lunch – cracker. And an apple. And then spending the night on the bank of a small tributary
Welsh, which, in turn, flows into the Vaal River.
Got up from
dawn. For breakfast, again, crackers and an apple – and go! Bethlehem is still a hundred kilometers away.
Well, they will overcome them!
At six
o’clock in the evening, both Milk-drinkers, exhausted, sweating, covered with reddish dust,
were already in Bethlehem.
Kronje
could be proud of his messengers.
Hurry
the station!
Im
slapped them on the road with food and drink and put them on a train that was supposed to leave
in one hour.
Having quenched their hunger and thirst, both friends fell asleep to the measured sound of wheels with a feeling
people who did their duty well.
From
Bethlehem to the last point under Ladysmith, where the Boer trains reach, in total
eighty miles, that is, about one hundred and forty-eight kilometers.
Trains
go faster here than on other lines. The stationmaster assured them that
three o’clock in the morning the train will go through Van Rennen Gorge, and the most difficult part
path will be covered.
Train
confidently devoured space, when suddenly there was a strong explosion, from which shuddered
and stopped at full speed the entire composition. All his bonds were broken.
Stunned
and shell-shocked, Sorvi-head and Fanfan staggered to their feet. Dawn broke.
– Here
so thing! escaped the little Parisian’s favorite word.
This
since the “thing” turned out to be a mine, devilishly brave and deftly planted by the British.
– Us
blown up! – out of himself with anger cried the Tear-Head. – Shepherd
responded to the song of the shepherdess. [66]
What about Fanfan?
Gorge
Van Rennen was long gone. The lineup was between Besters and Walkers Huck,
far from the positions of the Boers, in a completely deserted place where it was difficult to expect
some help.
True,
the wagons were upholstered with steel sheets, but not thick enough to serve
reliable protection. Nevertheless, to a certain extent, this armor also protected from bullets.
The train guard consisted of fifty determined men who were not going to
give your life cheaply.
Front
locomotive Boers placed an empty wagon and a tender with coal. This wise precaution
fully justified itself. The car crippled by the explosion flew down a slope from a height
four meters. The tender fell on its side and blocked the path of the locomotive, which,
apparently not hurt. The third car did not fall, but the wheels of the right side came off
from the rails and along the very axis crashed into the ground.
Therefore, it was impossible
move in reverse.
Regulation
was further complicated by the fact that the British, who were in ambush on both sides of the railway
canvases, opened fire.
Under
covering the return fire of the Boers, the engineer climbed under the train to examine
path.
Alarm
turned out to be significant. Two sections of the rails were torn out and twisted. But their
could be replaced: there was a large supply of rails in the tail car. Most
the difficult thing is to throw the tender out of the way.
Group in
several people volunteered to set out to correct the path; another group of volunteers
with the same dedication as the first, risking her life, climbed under the third
railway carriage. Digging the ground from under the stuck wheels, the brave men tried to dump
damaged wagon from the embankment.
All these
the work took a lot of time and cost a lot of blood.
Two drills
were seriously wounded, but they resolutely refused help:
– No,
No! Rescue the weapon.
And then take care of us.
Fanfan and
especially Rip-head did not find a place for himself from rabies.
Finally,
after half an hour of effort and the loss of two people, the Boers managed to lay down and secure
new rails in front of the locomotive.
Now
it all depended on whether he could back up and step back a little.
Then it would be possible to launch it with acceleration, like a ram, on a tender and dump
the last one down.
Almost
all the Boers had to deal with the rescue of the train. Naturally, shooting from them
sides weakened. The English became bolder. Their cavalrymen pranced in the distance
revolver shot from wagons.
– Again
lancers! – muttered Rip-head. There were about a hundred lancers. Two thirds of them
dismounted and opened fire on the Boers who were working on the way. I had to quit my job
and take up guns again. A real battle ensued around the train.
First time
in life, Rip-head prudently refused to put himself at risk.
Knowing that it’s not
has the right to die or even be injured until he passes
Joubert package Cronje, he fired from behind cover, which, however, did not
responded to the accuracy of his shots.
English
persisted and suffered losses. One could already see signs of confusion in
their ranks when significant reinforcements approached them. The position of the Boers became
critical.
Several
the horses, frightened by the shots, rushed wildly across the steppe. One of them got confused
in dangling reins and crashed to the ground fifty paces from the train.
Mind
Jean Grandier instantly matured a bold plan.
– To
broke? Are you in your mind? Fanfan called out to him.
– To us
don’t get away from them. Get out as you know, and I’ll try to do the impossible.
Hand, comrade! Goodbye!
Forgetting about
prudence and not listening to Fanfan’s objections, Sorvi-head thought only about the assignment
Cronje. He jumped off the platform of the car and ran to the fallen horse.
Bullets so
and whistled around him. But tear off your head, not paying any attention to this
music and enrapturing the Boers with his fearlessness and self-control, freed
the horse’s legs from the reins in which it got tangled. Good animal immediately
jumped up, Rip-head jumped into the saddle, gave spurs and sent her at a gallop to
Ladysmith.
After
they opened fire on him with twenty carbines. The bullets pursued him inexorably. All of a sudden
Rip-head jumped strangely in the saddle and staggered, but immediately straightened up,
cried out, partly from pain, partly from rage, and continued on his way along
rocky shores, among which the river Klip snakes before its confluence with the river
Surprise Gill.
– Bravo,
Blow your head! Bravo! .. – shouted Fanfan, beaming with pride at the sight of
new feat of his commander.
– Bravo,
Blow your head! echoed the admiring Boers. “And yet we disappeared, –
Fanfan thought, “unless help arrives soon, very soon…
Eh, if I got such a skate, I wouldn’t refuse him the honor to save me either.
on your back. But what to do – it is not! You’ll have to move, obviously.
brains.”
This
for a moment there was a joyful “hurrah”. The Boers finally succeeded by digging the ground out from under
wheels of the third car, derail it. The way back was free
at least for a known distance.
Machinist
reversed to couple the wagons; then, dispersing the composition and risking breaking
locomotive, let him go full speed ahead. The first blow only shifted the tender,
the second moved him to the edge of the canvas, the third threw him off the embankment.
Courage
and the dexterity of the Boers were not in vain. The newly laid rails did not disappoint. Train
passed safely. We slipped through! The Boers suffered heavy losses but saved
armament.
Machinist
gave full play. The train rushed forward at full speed and … ran into a huge
piece of rock thrown onto the rails.
Strike
turned out to be stronger than the first. He damaged the mechanism of the steam locomotive, from all the holes
which was thrown down by thick clouds of steam.
– Now
really burned out! Fanfan exclaimed. – And since you do not feed
absolutely no sympathy for pontoons, Mr. Fanfan, then you will have to throw out
your number.
And while
the British fired at the stopped train, Fanfan began to slowly make his way
to the steam locomotive.
A
Rip-head was still racing on his big English horse towards the Boer
outposts. The rider was clearly weakening. It became difficult for the poor Baby to breathe, on his forehead
he broke out in a cold sweat, his rosy cheeks turned pale. He had to
strain all your iron will to stay in the saddle and overpower the pain,
tormented him at every gallop of the horse. – Will I get home? he whispered
in a weakened voice. – We must get there, we must …
And he
again spurred the now soaring horse, and in order not to fall, he grabbed
her mane.
– I’m suffocating!..
Drink! .. Drink! .. I think I would now give the rest of my life for a glass of
water!
On
for a second he let go of the horse’s mane, took out a handkerchief, and putting it
under his jacket, clamped them to the wound on his chest.
suddenly
he thought he saw the Boer trenches.
So and
there was: about a dozen yellowish flashes flashed over the crests of the hills, and above it
Bullets whistled through his head.
– Rifle
shots! Jean whispered with a bitter smile. – Now this
the only kind of greeting between people.
He
pulled out a handkerchief from his bosom and waved it as a sign of his peaceful intentions.
Even though white
the fabric of the handkerchief turned red from his blood, the fire still stopped. From the trenches
people jumped out and ran towards this strange rider.
Rip-head,
pale, like a seriously ill person, gathered his last strength to directly and proudly
stay in the saddle.
He
stopped the horse, which the Boers instantly seized on both sides by the bridle.
– Who
You? Where? Why?..
– I
captain rip-head. Brought papers to General Joubert from Cronje. They fight there…
The train I was on will be taken over by the British.
Boers
they finally noticed how pale he was, they saw the blood, which stood out in a large dark spot
on his jacket.
– you
wounded?.. We will carry you.
– Lead
me to General Joubert.
– He
now in Niholsonsnek, and this is very close. “Nearby” means among the Boers at least
least a kilometer. Accompanied by a group of horsemen, Jean Grandier went to
general.
– This
your honorary escort, dear comrade, – said the one who recognized him
field cornet.
– Now
I need more, perhaps, a simple nurse, [67] –
answered Tear-head, pale as a sheet, but still able to find strength in himself
tell jokes.
Finally
they drove up to a large tent over which the national flag fluttered. Through
its open floors showed that it was full of people.
– Here
we have arrived,” said the field cornet. Rip off your head, making a desperate
effort, he himself got off the horse and with a firm step, but with a face distorted from pain
approached the general.
saluting with the right hand,
Rip-head
with his left hand he handed him an envelope stained with blood and, without having time to say anything, even
without a cry, he fell heavily on his back. Obviously this is the last effort
finally sapped his strength.
– Take
this brave boy to the hospital,” ordered Joubert excitedly. – AND
let them take care of him as they would take care of myself.
Jean
laid on a stretcher, and friendly hands with endless precautions carried
him to the nearest hospital.
Through
half an hour Sorvi-head came to his senses. As soon as he opened his eyes, he immediately recognized the glasses,
I murmur a kind smile to my friend, Dr. Tromp.
– Well
of course, it’s me, my dear rip-head! I am Tromp, a healer by profession. “Tromp
– cheat death”, [68]
as you once aptly put it… I hope to hold it this time as well.
– Yes,
Does that mean I’m seriously injured? And I won’t be able to fight again soon? – alarmed
Rip off your head.
– Very
seriously! Broken top of lung. Is it a metford bullet, isn’t it?.. It hit
in your back and out through your chest. As you know, this English bullet is very
humane being. But nevertheless, despite all her philanthropy, I just
wondering how could you get here? You are great my boy.
real hero!.. Hero of the day! Now everyone in the camp only talks about you. Yes
this is not surprising.
– So
Doctor, are you sure that I will survive?
– Quite!
But for now, you need to be silent and discard all worries from yourself. animal existence,
and nothing else! Try not to even think – and, you will see, everything will go as it should.
oil.
– More
one word, doctor! What about the blown up train?
– Train
taken by the British, the surviving people were captured.
– Poor
Fanfan! – sighed Sorvi-head. Dr. Tromp, with his usual art
bandaging Jean, gave him a sedative, and our hero fell into a sound sleep.
Time
fled.
Night came, then morning, and Rip-Head was still fast asleep. His
I was awakened by a noise: they were arguing somewhere nearby.
– Get out
out, black man! the nurse yelled at someone.
– Not
I’ll go! .. I need to see him.
– A,
you will not leave? So on you, get it! .. – and the orderly waved his stick.
But here
the negro spoke in a rather strange language for an African:
– Leave me alone
damn fool! .. He will immediately recognize me, if only he is alive …
And, not
Paying attention to the orderly, the Negro dragged on the march of the Milks.
– Fanfan!
Yes, it’s Fanfan! – joyfully shouted Sorvi-head.
Orderly
tried to prevent Fanfan from entering, but he, having heard the voice of his friend, with dexterity
real Gavroche gave the orderly a trip, from which he stretched himself on the floor, and
he himself flew into the hospital tent like a whirlwind and jumped up to the bed of Jean Grandier,
who waited for him with open arms.
Before
some black little man appeared wounded, rolling the whites of his eyes. From him
the smell of engine oil and wheel wax was unbearably reeking.
Rip-head
shaking with uncontrollable laughter. And the overjoyed Fanfan exclaimed:
– Well,
if the wounded man laughs, it means that he is already half healthy. Yes, master, it’s me! You are alive,
I am free. We are happy! I’m going to wash up. Then we’ll hug and chat.
– No,
Fanfan, no! Wait! Tell me just how you managed to get out of there?
– You
he told me: “Get out”, so I got out … When the uhlans came up to
pick us up, I made my way to the coals and wallowed in it from head to toe. Then I
put on cosmetics with excellent black paint from wheel grease and became a negro,
a real negro of the most wonderful black color. The English took me for
kaffir and called “fight”. [69]
And a sad, I tell you, occupation is to be here a Kaffir or a boi.
