mplained that we had
drained all our water on to them. A lot of unnecessary damming was
indulged in. However, from our point of view the thing was a great
success. Later the sun came out, and we dried all our possessions. Great
institution the sun! The next day being the Sabbath, of course, we had
to have a scrap, or at least try to have one. So we had a _reveille_ at
2 a.m., in order to surround a house where about forty Boers had been
reported by some wretched being. On turning out, several of us found our
horses had disappeared during the night, mine being among the number. So
as not to be out of the fun, I took the first wandering brute I found,
and fell in. All this took place in the dark, and later, when it became
lighter, it was most amusing to see what some of us had secured. Mine
proved to be an officer's charger, but no goer. When I got back to the
lines, I found an infuriated officer's servant marking time in front of
me till we were dismissed, when he approached and wrathfully spoke to
me, stating that the horse had a sore back and was lame in three legs.
As he gave me no chance to offer an apology or explanation, we slanged
and abused one another for about ten minutes, to the delight of the
squadron, and then parted so as not to miss other similar rows. The
result of the morning's work was, I hear, two Boers captured. For this
we all laid on the wet ground behind anthills and other cover for about
two hours, waiting for them to come our way; while Legge's crowd
pom-pommed and field-gunned them for about an hour. The Boers also used
a good deal of ammunition, doing us no damage, but getting away through
the usual missing link in the chain. This afternoon (Monday, 19th) we
received mails, my share being three letters, and some papers.

[Illustration: A Peep at our Domestic Life.

Tomkyns de Vere B.A. 'bucking up' the fire, Boleno Soles triumphantly
approaching with more fuel, the district being a woodless one. White
with a soul above cooking, his not eating, reading Marcus Aurelius in
No. 1 Mealie Villas.]

Tuesday, Nov. 20th. I have just heard that we are off for a ten weeks'
trek to-morrow, so I must bring this to a conclusion, and get into town
to post it, and also to procure some more stores. It may or may not
interest you to know that of all the jams we have had out here (and we
have been served out with at least a score of different brands) the very
best, made from the most genuine fruit, were the con