st he was ordered out from Kimberley
to Griquatown. When he was there and had 400 Boers in his grasp he
received a message ordering him back to Kimberley at once. Then he was
sent to Boshof and ordered to march with all speed on Hoopstad. Having
reached Mahemsfontein he was ordered to halt, and that place being
unsuitable for an encampment, had to fall back on Zwaartzkopjesfontein.
And then he was ordered back to Boshof again. No doubt the explanation
was that the advance of the main army under Lord Roberts had been
delayed, but of course the Boers believed that all this was due to their
own formidable movements, and were accordingly encouraged.

Well, there was no doubt that we were moving, and I hoped that we were
going to march in the direction of Fourteen Streams and do something
towards the relief of Mafeking. That was what we had all been longing
to do, and it was with a long face that a staff officer said, "Back to
Boshof."

So back we started.

Our column was nearly three miles long, and just as the tail of it was
leaving camp and the head of it, like a snake's, beginning to curl round
Spitz Kop--a lofty cone-shaped kopje beside the road--pom--pom--pom--pom!
suddenly sounded from--where? The wicked little shells licked like a
rising tide along our right flank.

Up on a ridge far on our right I saw the rogues working their gun, as
busy as monkeys. Our friend the pom-pom once more, and most vivacious.
At the same time I heard the banging of Mausers behind me, and the air
above sang for an instant. And when that flight was over--Boom...! and
the long screaming whirr--sounds which tell you that someone has touched
off a field-gun, and that the shell is coming your way. This one was a
common shell, and did not come within a hundred yards. The whole thing
was very prettily done. Such a surprise, too. We had no idea that they
had guns.

Turning my horse round I paused for an instant to watch the effect and
the result. The column was still moving on, the Kaffir drivers shouting
a little louder than usual perhaps, but not a bullock out of place or
even a sheep touched. They were firing on a rather vulnerable part of
the convoy, where a flock of about a thousand sheep were being driven
and the remount horses led. But even while I looked the rear-guard was
spreading out and joining hands with the right flank, and the sound of
rifle fire from the ridge showed that they were already engaged. The
pom-pom and the 12-poun