mount question which has so puzzled the more intelligent students of
the war. The column newly equipped at the railway was generally worse
off for horse-flesh and less mobile than the force which had not been
within reach of the Remount Department for months. The procedure was
in this wise. The column commander struggled gasping into the haven of
relief afforded by the railway. He had barely issued to his men and
horses a full ration when the telegraph began to talk. Down came the
brief little order from Pretoria, "You will entrain for Cypher Ghat
without delay. Trains will reach you by three this afternoon." In vain
would the column commander plead for rest for man and beast. The fiat
had gone forth. All protest was met with a single reiteration of the
original order, with perhaps the adjunct, "Remounts will be awaiting
you to replace casualties." What chance had the horses which had been
overridden and under-fed for the last twelve days? Those which could
hobble were thrust into close, dung-blocked trucks, and whirled away
any distance from fifty miles to a thousand. Water they got when the
railway officials saw fit to arrange the necessary halt in the
necessary place, rest for them there was none. But the column
commander who was new at the job could plume himself that he would be
restocked and start with a new lease of life at his destination. Vain
thought! He found awaiting him at the end of his journey either the
sweepings of the country-side--such animals as had been rejected as
unfitted for military service by marauding Boer and pushing column
leader in turn, and finally collected by the zealous "crawler" and
duly reported in the "weekly bag" as captured from the enemy. Or if
sweepings were not available, he would find waiting for him absolutely
soft and raw importations, which had cost the taxpayers L40 apiece a
few weeks previously,--the one as useless for the purpose required as
the other. Rejection by a not over-fastidious enemy disposes of the
one; of the other it was as mad a proceeding as taking a horse
straight off grass and backing him to win you a stake at even weights
with trained horses. The millions of the public money which lie
wantonly strewed over the South African veldt would appal even the
most phlegmatic of financiers. The waste in horse-flesh is
inconceivable; and the man with the stiff upper lip who refused to
realise that it takes gentle breaking to bring the troop-horses to the
perfection w