ht
of camp fires, and teams of oxen in the gloom beyond. A little farther
on the column stopped, and we were told we should be there two hours.
We fed the horses, and then lit fires of mealy-stalks, and cooked
cocoa, and drowsed. At six our transport-waggons came up, and we got
our regular breakfast. Then we rode to water, and now (August 23) I am
sitting in the dust by the team, writing this. There was a stir and
general move just now. I got up and looked where all eyes were
looking, and saw a solitary Boer horseman issuing from the bush,
holding a white flag. An orderly galloped up to him, and the two went
into a hut where the General is. The rumour is that a thousand Boers
want to surrender.--Rumour reduces number to one Boer.

In the end we stopped here all day, and what in the world our forced
march was for, is one of the inexplicable things that so often
confront the tired unit, and which he doesn't attempt to solve.

The camp was the most unpleasant I ever remember, on a deep layer of
fine dust, of a dark, dirty colour. A high wind rose, and eyes, ears,
mouth, food, and kit, were soon full of it. Roasting hot too. There
was a long ride to water, and then I got some sleep behind my upturned
saddle, waking with my eyes glued up. To watering again and evening
stables. The wind went down about six and things were better. None of
us drivers had blankets, though, for the kit-waggon had for some
reason been left at Pynaar's River. However, I shared a bed with
another chap, and was all right.

_August 24._--I am now cursing my luck in an ambulance waggon. For
several days I have had a nasty place coming on the sole of my foot, a
veldt-sore, as it is called. To-day the doctor said I must go off
duty, and I was told to ride on one of our transport-waggons. This
sounds simple; but I knew better, and made up my mind for some few
migrations, before I found a resting place. With the help of Williams
I first put myself and my kit on one of our waggons. Then the Major
came up, and was very sympathetic, but said he was sending back one
waggon to Pynaar's River, and I had better go on that, and not follow
the Battery. So I migrated there and waited for the next move. It came
in a general order from the Staff that nothing was to go back. I was
to seek an asylum in an R.A.M.C. ambulance waggon. So we trudged over
to an officer, who looked at my foot and said it was all very well,
but he had no rations for me. However, rations wer