nd jams; then, handing my purchases over
to a friend, I again took up my position at the end of the queue and
bought some more stuff. The prices were what is commonly known as
popular prices, being extraordinarily low for this benighted land. As
our four days' rations simply consist of four of the least popular brand
of biscuits imaginable per diem and horrible stewed trek ox, these
little purchases are coming in very handy. We camped early in the
afternoon on the high veldt. The night was bitterly cold.

THE GREAT EGG TRICK.

Wednesday, October 10th.

"When scouting and you must not tarry,
Of things you can borrow or beg,
The best, but the worst you can carry,
Is the excellent, succulent _egg_."
_Extract from contemplated "Loot Lyrics."_

To-day we have returned to Commando Nek, at least within a mile or so of
it. (A cart has just come in from Rietfontein, and they say there are
four bags of mails for the Composites, so we poor Sussex de'ils ought to
have a look in.) We were advance party to-day, and a friend and I had
the good luck to get a fine lot of eggs, of which I have not had any for
a long time. As you may imagine, eggs are not very easily carried by the
uninitiated, especially when he happens to be a horseman. The first time
I managed to get some I got a couple from a farm down the next valley,
and was debating how I should carry them, when the officer of our troop,
who was just ahead, turned round and sternly told me to mount and get
forward, and as he stopped for me to do so, I was rather awkwardly
situated, my rifle being in one hand and the two eggs in the other.
However, I seized the reins somehow or other, and did the great egg
trick successfully. Missing other feats in which I have never once
broken or cracked even one, to-day I eclipsed all previous
accomplishments, inasmuch as I carried in the only two tunic pockets I
have without holes, THREE DOZEN EGGS loose, and despite having to
dismount and mount twice, brought them into camp without breaking or
cracking one. Once or twice, when we had to do a trot, our
sergeant-major asked why I was riding so curiously, and I told him I was
feeling rather queer, but thought it would wear off when I reached
camp--it did. A friend and I got these eggs in rather an amusing manner.
We spotted a Kaffir village and riding to it, enquired at every kraal
for eggs, "Eggs for the general--for L