lels of rails blocked with the trucks containing the
nucleus of a cavalry brigade, and to get that nucleus on the road by
daybreak. The supply column was all out, the battery half out--these
were old soldiers; but the two squadrons of 20th Dragoon Guards had
not yet awakened to the situation. The brigadier looked up and down
the platform, gazed a moment at the long tiers of laden trucks, and
then made the above remark.

And we had to take our coats off. The 20th were new but they were
willing; and it is difficult to say which hampers you most, an
over-willing novice or an unwilling expert. You who sit at home and
rail at the conduct of the campaign, rail at the wretched officer,
regimental or staff, little know what is expected of him. You have
your type in your mind's eye--an eyeglass, spotless habiliments, and a
waving sword; you pay him and expect him to succeed. Your one argument
is unanswerable. You place the greatest man that you can select to
guide and cherish him, therefore if he does not succeed it must be
through his own shortcomings. In your impatience you opine that he has
not succeeded. Therefore he must be ignorant, indifferent, and
incompetent. Little do you realise the injustice of your opinion. You
sweat, during a war, an intelligent class--the same class, be it said,
from which the best that your universities can produce is drawn,--you
sweat it as no other educated class would allow itself to be sweated
in the whole civilised world, and yet, though men drop in harness for
you by dozens every month, you turn upon them and revile them. Can you
not appreciate the fact that it is not always the medium, through
which the Great Head you have selected works, that is in error,--that
the pilot's hand may be at fault, and not the steering-gear? Take us
that night at Richmond Road. New troops, new staff, little or no
information, and an order to be in position at a point 50 miles
distant in 36 hours. If bricks have to be made, has not the workman a
right to expect to be supplied with the ingredients? Is the blame
altogether his if, when exposed to the heat of a tropical sun, his
hurriedly constructed clay crumbles to pieces for want of the straw
with which his taskmaster failed to supply him? We think not. But that
night at Richmond Road we had no time to ruminate upon our
difficulties. We had to surmount them, and with our brigadier we took
our coats off and buckled to the job.

Telegrams:--

1. _To Intell