oldier prisoners from
Waterval.

My horse (late of the R.H.A.), picked up at Kroonstad, is going very
strong. He is very useful to me as a means of locomotion, but otherwise
no good feeling exists between us, for he is the most senseless, clumsy
brute that I have ever come across in the animal kingdom. He is always
treading on me and doing other idiotic and annoying acts. A few days ago
he got entangled in the picketing ropes, and on my going to his
assistance promptly fell forward upon me (he is the biggest horse I have
seen in any Yeomanry Company) and nearly broke my instep. I have lately
re-christened him "Juggernaut," which I think is not an inappropriate
name. I had not much time to spare when we went into Pretoria, but could
not help stopping to watch a couple of regiments go through--the Derbies
with their band and the Camerons with their pipers. It was a grand sight
to see those dirty, ragged, khaki-clad fellows tramping past the
Volksraad, over which the Flag was flying, and note the tired but grim
smile of satisfaction with which they regarded it. Quite two out of
every four infantrymen I saw limped along with feet sore from marching
over all sorts of roads and "where there was never a road." Some were
getting along with the aid of sticks--most, if not all, of the officers
march with sticks.

On Thursday, June 7th, we were still in camp outside of Pretoria, with a
hospital, containing interesting cases of leprosy, small-pox and fever
behind us; and about 200 yards to our left front hundreds of dead horses
and a few vultures. At mid-day the usual unexpected thing happened, and
it was "saddle up," and off we rode through the captured capital,
passing Kruger's house, with the two lions outside the entrance,
presented to him by Barney Barnato, and a group of typical old Boers
seated at a table on the stoep. We bivouacked about six or eight miles
east of the town, and the next morning caught up the army and took our
place in advance again. At mid-day we halted within sight of Eerstie
Fabriken.[1] Some of us were having a _siesta_ and others eating
biscuits and bully beef, or smoking the pipe of peace (peace, when there
is no peace!), when--Boom! whish-sh! over our heads, and about 100 yards
behind us a group of horses was lost in a cloud of brown earth and dust.
Then another and another came, and we got the order to take cover to our
right, which was promptly obeyed. Our guns came into action, and later
an armis