e hazy notion of the date and day of the week, so
both you at home and I out here ought to feel "for this relief much
thanks!" And the reason for all this contentment and satisfaction is
this. We were shifted from our last camping ground yesterday afternoon,
and have arrived here. We are here for two or three days at the least.
That is as far as we can gather, and we "just do" hear a lot. This means
a bit of rest from the everlasting early _reveille_, saddling up,
packing up kit, and so forth. So behold me on the veldt, leaning against
my saddle in my shirt sleeves, taking things easy, after having dined
well on a loaf of bread well covered with tinned butter obtained at a
store some miles back owing to my having to fall out of the ranks on
account of a broken girth (hem!) on our march hither. The bread a Scotch
farmer, and tenant of Sammy Marks, gave me yesterday. Of course you must
have noted how the principal topic with us is grub, and probably felt
contempt for us, still I assure you it is the great Army question. When
you meet a man out here, usually the first question is "What sort of
grub are you having?" Then, after another remark or so, "Seen much
fighting?" Or, again, on asking a man what sort of a general Buller is,
for instance, the reply comes pat, "A grand man--he looks after your
rations. Feeds you well!" Still, it must be admitted it looks rather
amusing to see a big, bearded man expectantly awaiting his share of
condensed milk or sugar to spread on a piece of biscuit. As regards
fighting, we have been shelled over a bit lately. I think it was last
Monday I had to go and see if there was anybody in a small house some
distance opposite a range of kopjes occupied by the enemy. I had to kick
in the door, and hitch my horse to a tree. Nobody was in the house; but
the firing got very warm while I was making my visit. On Tuesday one of
our patrols was ambushed, and only one man returned with the news. Later
the officer in command of the troop came in with a corporal, and we
heard that one fellow had been severely wounded and several horses lost.
The rest eventually straggled in. All had tales of marvellous escapes to
tell, some had laid low in a river up to their necks in water for many
hours, others in the long grass. Yesterday we heard that the Boers
confessed to three killed and three or four wounded, and as our man is
progressing favourably I don't think their ambush was a great success,
especially as they o