see whether I
cannot join one or other of the relieving-forces which are certain to be
sent. For the present I shall rest here a little while."

Accordingly Jack made himself at home, and on the following day, when
Wilfred and Mrs Hunter had departed, he turned out into the camp, and
was not long in making friends with a number of young officers, and with
some of the soldiers.

Ladysmith he found was much like other towns in the district. Its most
prominent building was the Town Hall, round which there were clusters of
stores and verandahed houses, mostly with tin roofs, which reflected the
rays of the sun like a number of large mirrors. In and about the
houses, and around the town, was a more or less treeless, open plain,
while surrounding it on every side were ridges and mountains which had a
most imposing effect.

Jack was soon in conversation with a young captain of the gunners, and
with him he made a tour of the camps, thoroughly enjoying the sight of
all the tents, wagons, and guns, and the hundreds of khaki-clothed
soldiers bustling about in their shirt sleeves preparing the mid-day
meal All seemed to be in the very cheeriest of spirits, and as Jack and
his new friend passed amongst them he heard many a laughing allusion to
"Old Crujer" and the Boers.

In one corner of the camp a game of football was going on, and the
combatants, selected from two of the British regiments, were playing in
their shirt sleeves with as much keenness and energy as they would have
displayed at home before a crowd of onlookers. Here, however, there
were only a few officers watching the game, and a sprinkling of other
"Tommies", smart, healthy-looking men, smoking their pipes and
cigarettes, and making the most of the few days of ease which remained
before a sterner struggle would demand all their strength and courage.

"Fine boys, aren't they!" remarked the captain. "They are never so
happy as when they are kicking a football, or joining in some sort of
sport. I dare say if we have to stay here very long we shall hold a
gymkhana, a kind of athletic meeting on a large scale, and then Tommy is
in his element. Ah, they are jolly good fellows, and it's a real
pleasure to serve with them!"

Soon after this Jack said "Good-bye!" and returned to his hotel, where,
after luncheon, he again turned in for a sleep, for he had ridden some
four hundred miles in little more than a week, and still felt the effect
of the fatigue.

C