lonial manhood, vied with Regular regiments in strenuous tugs of
war and other athletic exercises, preparatory to the tournament, which
is fixed for New Year's Day--"weather and the enemy's guns permitting."
Three special correspondents, whose waggons are outspanned to form a
pleasant little camp in the slightly hollowed ridge of a central hill,
where they cannot be seen from the Boer batteries, and are therefore
comparatively safe except from stray shells, organised a series of novel
sports for the benefit of their nearest neighbours--the Rifle Brigade
transport "South Africa," in the person of its genial representative,
put up most of the prize-money, and together we arranged a succession of
events, offering inducements enough to secure full entries for
competitions that lasted from ten o'clock in the morning until near
sunset, allowing sufficient intervals for the mid-day meal and other
refreshments. We flatter ourselves that our gymkhana, in which races
ridden on pack and transport mules furnished the liveliest incidents,
would take a lot of beating--as a humorous entertainment at any rate.
In order to avoid drawing fire from "Puffing Billy" or "Silent Sue" of
Bulwaan, the course had to be laid in a semicircle that passed the
picketing line for mules. Up to that point they would gallop like
thoroughbreds, then cut it to their customary feeding-places with a
promptness that sent several good riders to ground as if they had been
shot. There are several good jockeys in the Rifle Brigade transport, and
among them one who spent many days in racing stables at home and abroad
before he took it into his head to follow the fifes and drums of
"Ninety-Five." But even the redoubtable "Ginger," with all his
horseman's skill and powers of persuasion in French, Hindustani, and
English, could not prevail over a mule's will. It was more by luck than
good riding that anybody managed to get past the post without two or
three falls by the way. But this only added to the fun of the thing, for
Tommy when in sportive mood takes hard knocks with infinite good-humour.
When at the finish successful and unsuccessful competitors assembled to
cheer their hosts, the three correspondents had the gratification of
feeling that for a few of the many besieged soldiers in Ladysmith they
had helped to make Christmas merry.

[Illustration: THE BRITISH POSITION AT LADYSMITH, LOOKING SOUTH-EAST]

You may be sure that sick and wounded at Intombi hospital w