en, but they were men of all sorts and conditions. Never was
there a happier or a more ill-assorted family! A director of De Beers
side by side with a needy adventurer; a millionaire shoulder to shoulder
with a beggar! There they were! all sorts and conditions of men, but all
animated by one great purpose--to keep the flag flying.

By-and-by the lack of cavalry was severely felt, and Mr. Cecil Rhodes,
resourceful as ever, brought up some 800 horses, and the Kimberley Light
Horse--now a famous regiment--came into being. The command of it was
given to Colonel Scott-Turner, and it was composed of the best riders
and keenest shots that could be found. Plenty of these were fortunately
available and they greatly distinguished themselves.

No one thought of surrender, and when the length of the siege drew into
weeks and from weeks into months, and food ran short and water was cut
off, they still kept cheerful. They knew they were practically safe from
assault. Surrounding the town is a belt of level country some six miles
wide, and they felt certain the Boers dare not cross this belt and face
the fire that would be poured into them from the huge cinder heaps which
had been transformed into forts.

By-and-by the number of shells dropped into the town increased rapidly.
New and more powerful guns were brought to bear upon it, and no man's
life was safe. They did their best to reply, and actually, under the
direction of Mr. George Abrams (chief engineer of De Beers), they
manufactured a 30-pounder gun called 'Long Cecil,' which proved
effective at a range of 10,000 yards. Unfortunately, Mr. Abrams was
himself killed by a shell not long after he had completed this great
work.

From time to time sorties were carried out, and in the boldest of them
all, when the Kimberley men got so near that they could look down their
enemy's guns, Colonel Scott-Turner was killed.

=Perils of the Siege.=

But notwithstanding all they could do the enemy's attack grew fiercer.
It is estimated that between three and four thousand shells fell in
Kimberley during the siege, and the destruction wrought by these was
very great. Most of the churches suffered seriously. Many women and
children lost their lives. If there was any special function of any kind
in progress the Boers were almost sure to know about it and give it
their marked attention.

Bugle calls, taken up and repeated through the town, warned the people
of coming shells, and then the