sehold things, and a wag was wearing a very _piquante_ piece of
female head-gear. In the afternoon I got leave away, and washed in the
muddy pool aforesaid. It seems odd that it can clean one; but it does.
On the way back found a nigger killing a sheep, and bought some fat,
which is indispensable in our cooking; if there is any over, we boil
it and use it as butter. We cooked excellent mealy cakes in it in the
evening. "We don't know where we are" to-day; we had mutton, rice, and
cheese for dinner!

_July 20._--Harnessed up as usual at dawn, and "stood by" all the
morning. The rumour now is that De Wet never went to Lindley at all,
but only a small commando, and that he is at Ficksburg, fifty miles
away on the Basuto border. What an eel of a man!

Clements's brigade arrived to-day from somewhere, and is just visible,
camped a few miles away. The biscuit ration was raised from three to
four and a half to-day. Five is the full number. Rations are good now.
Cooked mutton is served out at night, and also a portion of raw
mutton. Drawing rations is an amusing scene. It is always done in the
dark, and the corporal stands at the pot doling out chunks. It is a
thrilling moment when you investigate by touch the nature of the
greasy, sodden lump put into your hand; it may be all bone, with
frills of gristle on it, or it may be good meat. Complaints are
useless; a ruthless hand sweeps you away, and the _queue_ closes up.
Later on, a sheep's carcass (very thin) is thrown down and hewed up
with a bill-hook. There is great competition for the legs and
shoulders, which are good and tender. If you come off with only ribs,
you take them sadly to the public mincing machine, and imagine they
were legs when you eat the result. A rather absurd little modicum of
jam is also served out, but it serves to sweeten a biscuit. There is
rum once a week (in theory). Duff at midday the last few days. It is
difficult to say anything general about rations, because they vary
from day to day, often with startling suddenness, according to the
conditions of the campaign. I was on picket this night, a duty which
is far less irksome when in the field than when in a standing camp.
Vigilance is of course not relaxed, but many petty rules and
regulations are. There is no guard-tent, of course, in which you must
stay when not on watch; as long as it is known where you can be found
at a moment's notice, you are free in the off hours. You can be
dressed as you l