at its brother sheep on the veldt
modestly feeding on coarse veldt grass; but on sardines and bacon-fat
it seemed to thrive astonishingly; and both my bread and sugar it
coolly commandeered. So rapid and complete is camp-life education,
even when a pet lamb is the pupil!

[Sidenote: _Right about face._]

On the morning of our fifth day in "worlds unknown" we breakfasted
soon after four, by starlight; and before sunrise were again trekking
hard. About ten miles brought our almost interminable string of
waggons to two ugly river drifts, across which, with much toil and
shouting they were at last safely dragged. Then we suddenly halted and
to our amazement were ordered to return whence we came. So across
those two ugly drifts the waggons were again dragged; four o'clock in
the afternoon found us on the precise spot where four o'clock in the
morning had watched us breakfasting; and by the afternoon of the
following Sunday we were back in Bloemfontein from which on the
previous Sunday we had made so bold a dash for fame and fortune. In
the course of those eight excessively toilsome days the Guards had
captured three wounded Boers; but what else they had accomplished no
one could ever guess. Somebody said, however, that something wonderful
had been done by somebody somewhere in connection with that week of
wonders; which was of course consoling; but it was only long after we
learned that De Wet after laying siege to Wepener for seventeen days
had made a sudden rush to reach his sure retreat in the north-east
corner of the Free State; that we with other columns had been sent out
to intercept him; and had as by a hair's breadth just managed to miss
him. Such are the fortunes and misfortunes of war. As an attacking
force, De Wet in the course of the war made some bold and brilliant
moves, though always on a comparatively small scale; but in the art of
running away and escaping capture, no matter by whom pursued, he has
given himself more practice than probably any other general that ever
lived. "Oh my God make him like a wheel!" We were a lumbering waggon
chasing a light-winged wheel; and the wheel was winner!

[Sidenote: _From worlds unknown._]

While on this long trek I lighted on a newly-arrived contingent of
Canadian mounted infantry which had come to our aid from worlds
unknown. They proved to be a splendid body of men, and worthy
compatriots of the earlier arrived Canadians who had rendered such
heroic service at Paar