humble cottage, disturbing my morning sleep after a
night of fever. I suppose he was aiming at the bakery again, but he
killed nobody and only destroyed an outbuilding. Farther down the town
unhappily he killed three privates. He also sent another shell into the
Town Hall, and blew Captain Valentine's horse's head away, as the poor
creature was enjoying his breakfast. After seven o'clock hardly a gun
was fired all day. Opinion was divided whether the Boers were keeping
holiday for that battle long ago, or were burying their dead after
Buller's cannonade of yesterday. But raging fever made me quite
indifferent to this and all other interests.

CHAPTER XIV

THE SEASON OF PEACE AND GOODWILL

_Sunday, December 17, 1899._

We are sick of the siege. Enteric and dysentery are steadily increasing.
Food for men and horses is short and nasty. Ammunition must be used with
care. The longing for the English mail has almost become a disease. Only
two days more, we thought, or perhaps we could just stick it out for
another week. Now we are thrown back into vague uncertainty, and seem no
nearer to the end.

All the correspondents were summoned at noon to the Intelligence Office.
That the Intelligence should tell us anything at all was so
unprecedented that we felt the occasion was solemn. Major Altham then
read out the General Order, briefly stating that General Buller had
failed in "his first attack at Colenso," and we could not be relieved
as soon as was expected. All details were refused. We naturally presume
the situation is worse than represented. Each of us was allowed to send
a brief heliogram, balloting for turn. Then we came away. We were told
it was our duty to keep the town cheerful.

The suffering among the poor who had no stores of their own to fall back
upon is getting serious. Bread and meat are supplied in rations at a
fair and steady price. Colonel Ward and Colonel Stoneman have seen to
that, and as far as possible they check the rapacity of the Colonial
contractor. But hundreds have no money left at all. They receive
Government rations on a mere promise to pay. Outside rations, prices are
running up to absurdity. Chickens and most nice things are not to be
obtained. But in the market last week eggs were half a guinea a dozen,
potatoes 1s. 6d. a pound, carrots 5s., candles 1s. each, a tin of milk
6s., cigarettes 5s. a dozen. Nothing can be bought to drink, except
lemonade and soda-water, made with