I cannot induce a Kaffir runner to start now. Even the Intelligence
Officer cannot do it. The heliograph has failed me, too. Sunday's
message has not gone, and this afternoon was clouded with storms and
rain. The temperature fell 30 deg.. Yesterday it was 102 deg.; the day before
106 deg. in the shade.

_December 20, 1899._

From dawn till about seven the mutter of distant guns was heard near
Colenso. But no news came through, for the sky was clouded nearly all
day long. The new 4.7 in. howitzer which the Boers have put up on
Surprise Hill opened fire in the morning, and will be as dangerous as
its predecessor which we blew up. From every point of the compass it
shelled hard nearly all day. I connect this feverish activity with the
apparition of a chaise and four seen driving round the Boer outposts,
and to-day quite visible on the Bulwan. Four outriders accompany it, and
queer little flags are set up where it halts. Can the black-coated old
gentleman inside be Oom Paul himself? It is significant that the big gun
of Bulwan did some extraordinary shooting during the day. It threw one
shell right into the old camp; another sheer over the Irish at Range
Post; both were aimed at nothing but simply displayed the gun's full
range; another pointed out the position of the Naval battery, and whilst
I was at lunch in the town, another whizzed past and carried away one
side of the Town Hall turret. I envy the gunner's feelings, though for
the moment I thought he had killed my horse at the door. The Town Hall
is now really picturesque, just the sort of ruin visitors will expect to
see after a bombardment. With a little tittifying it will be worth
thousands to the Colonials.

[Illustration: A PICTURESQUE RUIN.]

The day was cool and cloudy; fair shelling weather, but bad for
heliographs. So my Christmas message is still delayed. A certain
lieutenant (whom I know, but may not name) went out under flag of truce
with a letter to the Boer General, and was admitted even into Schalk
Burger's tent. The Boer gave him some details of Buller's disaster last
Friday, and of the loss of the ten guns, which they said came up within
heavy rifle fire and were disabled. They especially praised one officer
who refused to surrender, fired all his revolver' cartridges, drew his
sword, and would have fallen had not the Boers attacked him only with
the butt, determined to spare the life of so brave a man. I give the
story: its truth will be