ing notes in his pocket-book; someone was urging a correspondent to
send home a cable announcing the fact, when a man, who had been sitting
quietly through it all, said--

"That's all very well, but how about the rifling in the barrel? I guess
there wouldn't be much of that stuff left on by the time the bullet was
spinning."

Silence fell like a cloud on the group, and the bubble was finally
pricked when another officer came up and said--

"More bad grease! I've had to chuck out half a box of ammunition because
the grease has gone bad and fouls the rifles."

Of course; it was as simple as day. The bullets had, as usual, been
dipped in grease to preserve them, and the grease had gone bad. When I
returned to the little circle there was an animated conversation in
progress on the subject of visiting patrols.

We marched in next day, eighteen miles, having covered a pear-shaped
track eastwards of about forty miles, while the men behaved like Trojans
under most uncomfortable circumstances.

We remained for some days in camp, waiting for Lord Roberts to move, and
fighting no more dangerous enemy than the wet and boisterous weather of
young winter. Certainly Lord Methuen had a fine force there, well tried
and in excellent condition, and we all hoped that he might be given a
chance to do something with it. There is something at once lonely and
lofty in the position of a General Officer in the field that wins one's
sympathy. You see it most plainly at a full church parade such as was
held on Easter Sunday, when the whole force was formed into a hollow
square. Walls of living faces; before them, a few paces, company
officers; before them again, commanding officers; the chaplain in the
middle; and then the pleasant-looking Guardsman striding into his place
in front of all and saluting the chaplain--the only person to whom that
honour is rendered. After the short service the General's position is
still more sharply indicated, when the shouting of orders takes the
place of the parson's placid tones.

"Northamptons! _'shon_! Fours left, by the left--quick--_march_!" and
the tramp of feet nears the spot where the General stands alone. Down
the whole battalion you hear the order run, "Company! eyes _left_!" and
hundreds of eyes are turned on the General, until the (to him) welcome
"Eyes _front_!" relieves him from so particular a scrutiny. Is it not a
paragon of what he has to endure from the world?

XVI

A SURPRISE ON