et and
abandoning everything. We again felt this untimely desire for food,
and had lunch at Jones's hotel on scraps and Cecil went off to see if
she could loot the cook, as everyone but her had left the hotel and as
we needed one in Pretoria. A despatch-rider came running to me as I
was smoking in the garden and shouted that the "Roinekes" were coming
in force over the hill. I ran out in the street and saw their shells
falling all over the edge of the village. They were only a quarter of
an hour behind us. I yelled for Cecil who was helping the looted cook
pack up her own things and anyone else's she could find in a sheet. I
gathered up a dog and a kitten Cecil wanted and left a note for the
next English officer who occupied my room with the inscription "I'd
leave my happy home for you." We then put the cook, the kitten, the
dog and Cecil in the cart and I got on the horse and we let out for
Kronstad at a gallop. We raced the thirty miles in five hours without
one halt. That was not our cruelty to animals but Christian's who
whenever I ordered him to halt and let us rest, yelled that the
Englesses were after us and galloped on. The retreat was a terribly
pathetic spectacle; for hours we passed through group after group of
the broken and dispirited Boers. At Kronstad President Steyn whom I
went to see on arriving ordered a special car for me, and sent us off
at once. We reached here the next morning, Christian arriving a day
later having killed one mule and one pony in his eagerness to escape.
We are going back again as soon as Roberts reaches the Vaal. There
there must be a stand. Love and best wishes to you all----

DICK.

June 8th, 1900.

On board the Kausler.

DEAR MOTHER:

We engaged our passage on this ship some weeks ago not thinking we
would have the English near Pretoria until August. But as it happened
they came so near that we did not know whether or not to wait over and
see them enter the capital. I decided not, first, because after that
one event, there would be nothing for us to see or do. We could not
leave until the 2nd of July and a month under British martial law was
very distasteful to me. Besides I did not care much to see them enter,
or to be forced to witness their rejoicing. As soon as we got under
way and about half the distance to the coast, it is a two days' trip.
We heard so many rumors of Roberts's communication having been cut off
and that the war was not over, tha