tal
accounted for, 746.

_Cannon_ taken, excluding a maxim, 4.

_Rifles_, 606. _Ammunition_, 161,630.

_Horses and mules_, 6504. _Trek oxen_, 362.

_Other cattle_, 20,986. _Sheep_, 158,130.

_Waggons and carts_, 1604.

_Mealies and oat hay_, over 4,000,000 lbs.

H. BURKE, LT.

Colonel Hicks now set every one to work improving the various posts
round Krugersdorp, setting a fine example to all by the interest he
took in the work, and showing his thoroughness by the attention he
devoted to even the most trivial details. He also took infinite pains
to make Christmas as pleasant as he could for every one. The regiment
was, of course, very much split up in the various forts and fortified
houses, but headquarters still remained till the end of the year in
our old camping-ground.

On the very last day of the year an escort of forty men returning to
Krugersdorp had a near shave of being cut off; they lost four men
captured, and would assuredly have lost more but for the prompt action
of Major English, who went out from Kilmarnock with twenty men to help
them in.

So ended 1900. It had been a hard year for every one, but one and all
had done their best, and no sign of failing spirits was visible
anywhere. It was difficult to see anything like an end to the
campaign, however, for the process of attrition, which now seemed the
sole solution, was necessarily a slow one, and considerably interfered
with by the various 'regrettable incidents' that occurred from time to
time in the huge theatre of the war. These not only assisted our
indomitable foes with extra supplies of clothing, arms, ammunition,
&c., but also had the effect of keeping up their _morale_.

On January 4th, 1901, the 400 men under Major Bird passed through on
their way to Elandsfontein, but nobody knew about the move in time to
go up to the station and see them.

Large bodies of the enemy were now known to be in the neighbourhood,
and a spy came in saying that it was an open secret among the Boers
that Krugersdorp was De la Rey's objective as soon as a favourable
opportunity should present itself. In spite of this it was difficult
to make the danger of going beyond the outposts appreciated, and this
resulted in the death of one of our men, Private Hyland, servant to
one of the clergymen. It was supposed that the poor fellow had gone
out in a cape-cart with the object of getting some flowers for the
church; his body w