over us
till we were all like Christy Minstrels. Camped at five.

_July 16._--Reveille at six. There was a deficiency in the meat
ration, and at the last moment a sheep's carcase for each sub-division
was thrown down to be divided. Ours was hacked to bits pretty soon,
but raw meat on the march is a great nuisance, as there is no
convenient place to pack it, and very likely much difficulty in
cooking it.

_1.15._--Marched from eight till one over very hilly country, mostly
burnt. It seems there are Boers about; their laager was seen last
night, and I believe our scouts are now in touch with them. The pet of
the left section, a black and white terrier named Tiny, has been
having a fine hunt after a hare, to the amusement of the whole
brigade. She is a game little beast, and follows us everywhere. Jacko,
of the right section, rides on a gun-limber. We passed a farm just now
which was being looted. Three horsemen have just passed with a chair
each, also picture-frames (all for fuel, of course), and one man
carrying a huge feather mattress, also fowls and flour. Artillery
don't get much chance at this sort of game.

_(2 P.M.)._--Firing began on the right, and we were trotted up a long
steep hill into action, bullets dropping round, but no one hit. In
front are two remarkable kopjes, squat, steep, and flat-topped. We are
shelling one of them.[A]

[Footnote A: We were (as we heard long after) in action against De
Wet's rear-guard. He had escaped from the cordon just before it was
drawn tight, with a small and mobile force, and was now in retreat
towards Lindley. Broadwood's cavalry pursued him, but in vain.]

_(4.30 P.M.)._--This is the warmest work we have had yet. Our waggon
is with the guns, unhooked, and we and the team are with the limbers
in rear. There is no shelter, for the ground is level. Boer guns on a
kopje have got our range, and at one time seemed much interested in
our team, for four shells fell in a circle round us, from thirty to
forty yards off. It was very unpleasant to sit waiting for the
bull's-eye.

_(4.35 P.M.)._--We have shifted the teams a bit, and got out of the
music. To go back: we have been in action all the afternoon, shelling
a kopje where the Boers have several guns. It is a wooded one, and
they are very difficult to locate. They have a great advantage, as we
are on the open level ground below, and they have been fairly raining
shells round us. Fortunately most of them burst only on imp