pe of this work; but a glance at the map will show that Sir W.
Penn-Symons had a wide front to watch, since he could be attacked from
three sides. Although precise information regarding the Boer forces
was lacking, it was known that commandoes were assembling at
Volksrust, along the left bank of the Buffalo River, and on the far
side of Van Reenan's Pass.

Early in the morning of October 13th a telegram was received from Sir
G. White, asking General Penn-Symons to send a battalion to Ladysmith
at once, as the Boers were reported to be advancing on that town. The
General paid the 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers the compliment of
selecting them for this duty, and they entrained accordingly, about
4.30 a.m., reaching Ladysmith some four hours later. They detrained
with the utmost haste and marched at once towards Dewdrop, whither the
Ladysmith garrison had been sent; but the report of a Boer advance was
discovered to be without foundation, and the battalion was halted five
miles outside Ladysmith, and ordered to return. It did not reach the
camp at Dundee until 11 p.m.

On the following day Sir W. Penn-Symons moved his detachment closer to
the town of Dundee, and placed his camp three or four hundred yards
north of the road to Glencoe Junction. It soon became clear that the
Boers meant to invade Natal, and Newcastle was occupied by them on the
15th, while the mounted patrols of the Dundee force were already in
touch with the commandoes on the left bank of the Buffalo. The
detached company at Glencoe was withdrawn on the 18th, and on the 19th
three companies of the regiment, under Major English, were sent to the
Navigation Colliery in order to bring away large quantities of mealie
bags stored there.

Colonel Cooper, commanding the 2nd Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers,
had been given an extension of his command, and was hurrying back from
a short period of leave in England, so the battalion was at this time
under the command of Major S. G. Bird.

It was now evident to every one that we were on the eve of
hostilities, and a spirit of keen excitement and anticipation ran
through all ranks. After a long tour of foreign service, during which
the regiment had not had the good fortune to see active service,
though on three occasions they had been within measurable distance of
it, they were now to have the long-wished-for chance of showing that,
in spite of altered denominations and other changes, they were
prepared to keep their g