casionally interrupted, read. To a stranger at the game, I should
imagine that my behaviour at times would have appeared incongruous, for
while perusing the "Lotos-Eaters" and "Choric Song," the man on my right
would now and again interrupt me with, "There are some, have a shot at
'em!" Whereupon I would arise and fire a round or so at the distant
dots, and then sink down again and resume the sweet poesy, ignoring as
much as possible the constant bangings of villainous cordite in my ears,
right and left. Soon we moved on to another position, the
Northumberlands taking up our old one. The next one was in a stone
enclosure, which contained a large number of goats and kids. This was
not so pleasant, as the sun was high, and the place odoriferous.

At about three we were relieved by a Northumberland picket, and returned
under a sniping fire to where the camp had been pitched. Then the fun
commenced. A rather distant bang, _whis-sh!_ over our heads; and from
amongst the infantry blanket shelters a cloud of earth spouted up, and a
small batch of men cleared off from the vicinity of the explosion. It
was amusing to see the niggers throw themselves into trenches by the
roads and fields. Then came another and yet another shell, without any
more effect than making a hole in a tent, and the men of No. 8 Battery
Field Artillery (and No. 8 is a deuced smart Battery, by'r leave) dashed
out from their lines, pushing and dragging their guns, while the "4.7
gentleman" began moving his long beak in the air as though sniffing for
the foe. "Give 'em hell, boys!" we cried to the busy gunners, as they
dashed by us, working at the wheels and drag-ropes, but the Naval man
spoke first, "Snap--Bang!" and back the gun jumped in a cloud of smoke;
and presently, far away, from the crest of the kopje under suspicion, a
cloud of brown arose, and later came the crack of the explosion.
Meanwhile the Boers went on pitching shells into our camp, and we got
the order to retire behind a kopje with our horses till it was decided
what to do with us. Having done this, the shelling soon ceased, and
later we were taken back to camp, where we off-saddled, picketed our
horses, and settled down to tea. And then _bang! whish! crack!!_ bang!
whish! towards us the enemy's shells came again. They had got two guns
in position, and were working them hard. We were getting some of our own
back, for the shells we picked up were 15-pounder ones, of British make.
Our Naval gu