n Monday, May 28th, at mid-day, we reached the Vaal River, where we
stopped and took all our superfluous kit off the horses, which left us
with one blanket per man; were provided with four biscuits each, rations
for two days, and so with light hearts and saddles, we forded Viljoen's
Drift; into the Transvaal--at last! We had a long march to catch
Roberts, but this country provides one with heaps of things to break any
monotony that might otherwise exist, for it is ever "'Ware wire," "'Ware
hole," "'Ware rock," or "'Ware ant hill," and now and again in the
thick, blinding cloud of reddish dust a man and horse go down, and
another a-top of them. Soon after dark, nearly the whole of the veldt
around us became illuminated, reminding me of a colossal Brock's Benefit
or the Jubilee Fleet Illuminations. As a matter of fact, the veldt was
a-fire. The effect was really wonderful. At about ten o'clock we reached
the main body, and being informed that Roberts was about four miles
ahead with the 11th Division, our captain decided to bivouac for the
night, and catch him up in the morning. After ringing our horses, we
wandered round in the dark, and finding a convenient cart in a barn,
soon after had a good enough fire to cook some meat we managed to
secure, and then, dead fagged, turn in to sleep. [Here I would fain
mutter an aside. When I was at home, a certain jingo song was much sung,
perhaps is still; it was entitled, "A hot time in the Transvaal
to-night." I want to find the man who wrote that song, and get him to
bivouac with us for a night, at this time of the year, with an overcoat
and one blanket.] We awoke well covered with frost, and the stars have
seldom twinkled on a more miserable set of shivering devils than we of
the 69th Company I.Y. A nibble at a biscuit, no coffee, and we were
after Roberts. We caught him up after about an hour's riding; the 11th
Division was moving out as we came up. The Guards' Brigade was going
forward on our right, and Artillery rolling forward on our left, with
ambulance waggons, carts, and general camp equipment joining in the
procession. We moved smartly on, trotting past the Guards' Brigade,
soldiers straggling on who had fallen out for one reason or another, or
sitting by the wayside attending to sore feet, till we came up with the
Staff. Our captain reported himself, and _pro tem._ we were attached to
Lord Roberts' bodyguard.

[Illustration: "_A hot time!_"]

After a halt for our mid-da