perched all day long with
their backs against the protecting wall and their eyes fixed
meditatively on the purling stream, awaiting with resignation the whims
of "Long Tom."

In the early days of the siege a great deal of scooping and excavating
went on, and you might see on one side some gallant tiller of the soil
providing cover for a lady, while another rigged up sheltered
garden-seats for children. An amusing picture was beheld of three
massive Gordons in their kilts plying pick and shovel for a small couple
in distress, a natty little woman in a state of panic which agreed badly
with her smart ribbons, and her small lord who shared her anxiety for a
place of safety. The Scotsmen delved and scooped and built the temporary
shelter, indulging in the gayest jokes, and laughing and talking the
while delicious "Aberdeen awa,'" till the hearers became so absorbed and
interested that they almost forgot the fact that such a thing as a "Long
Tom" existed. The daily operations were also of a highly-spirited
character, for the British forces not only defended themselves with the
greatest animation against artillery somewhat superior to their own, but
at times took the offensive and harassed the enemy considerably. On
three different occasions they made attacks on the Boer batteries on
Umbulwana Hill, and though the British losses were somewhat heavy, those
of the Boers were still greater. A message was sent by Sir George White
to General Joubert requesting him to allow women, children, and
non-combatants to leave the town in order to escape the effects of the
bombardment, and the Boer General invited those who wished to go, to do
so under protection of the Umbulwana guns, but intimated that all who
had borne arms would be treated as prisoners of war. Finally, however,
after a meeting had been held and the matter discussed threadbare, it
was decided that the citizens of Ladysmith could accept no terms from
the enemy, and the meeting dispersed to the tune of "God save the
Queen," in which all fervently joined in chorus. The only means of
communication with the outer world was now by pigeon-post, and there was
therefore much excitement when Lieutenant Hooper (5th Lancers) arrived
on the scene. Guided by a Natal policeman, he had managed to sneak
unnoticed through the Boer lines and to reach the British camp in
safety.

All sorts of efforts were made to save Ladysmith from her doom, and an
armoured train was sent from Estcourt f