who were proceeding to Manipur, but had only heard
a few hours before of the retreat of their comrades-in-arms. They had
plenty of provisions with them, and quickly gave the tired, hungry men
a good meal.

The remainder of the journey to the frontier was made in comparative
comfort, but Mrs. Grimwood's trials were not yet ended. Soon the sad
news of her husband's death was broken to her. He and his fellow
prisoner had been executed with horrible brutality by order of the
jubraj.

The story of Mrs. Grimwood's heroism in attending to the wounded under
fire, and her bravery during the long and trying retreat, aroused
admiration throughout the civilized world. In consideration of her
exceptional services, the Secretary of State for India in Council
awarded her a pension of L140 a year, and a special grant of L1000.
The Princess of Wales--our present Queen--was exceedingly kind to her,
and Queen Victoria invited her to Windsor Castle, and decorated her
with the well-deserved Red Cross.

THREE SOLDIERS' WIVES IN SOUTH AFRICA

In December, 1880, a detachment of the 2nd Connaught Rangers was
escorting a wagon-train, nearly a mile in length, from Leydenberg to
Pretoria. Until more than half the journey had been travelled the
Boers, whom the British met on the way, had shown no disposition to be
unfriendly, but, one morning, as the convoy slowly wended its way up a
hill, studded with clumps of trees, a strong force of Boers jumped out
from their places of concealment and called upon the British to
surrender. They sent forward, under a flag of truce, a written demand
to that effect, but, seeing that the British officer in command had no
intention to order his men to lay down their arms, they treacherously
disregarded the white flag that was flying, and opened fire upon the
convoy.

The British were caught in an ambush, and the Boers, who greatly
outnumbered them, wrought terrible havoc. The Boers were concealed
behind trees and stones, but the British could obtain scarcely any
cover. Their colonel was mortally wounded early in the fight, and soon
there was only one officer unhurt.

When the attack on the convoy began there were three women in one of
the wagons. Mrs. Marion Smith, widow of the late bandmaster, was
travelling down country, with her two children, to sail on a troopship
for England. The other two women were Mrs. Fox, wife of the
sergeant-major, and Mrs. Maistre, wife of the orderly-room clerk.