s will be a very interesting war, as the railway will play
such an important part in the tactics. Thus the other day we sent the
Dublin Fusiliers down to Ladysmith to repel an expected attack at
half-an-hour's notice, and brought them back the same night....

"We are under an awfully nice General--one Penn Symons--a real good
chap."

On the 18th of October the Carabineers were in touch with the enemy in
the neighbourhood of Bester's Farm a great part of the day, and
Lieutenant Galway, son of the Chief-Justice of Natal, who remained to
watch his troops off the kopje, was reported missing. The Carabineers
were compelled to retire owing to being completely outnumbered by the
Boer force, and had they not done so they would have run the risk of
being cut off from their supports. There were some hair-breadth escapes,
and Major Taunton, who was riding at the head of his squadron, came
through a vigorous hail of bullets quite uninjured.

Major Rethman, in command of 300 Natal Mounted Rifles, also actively
engaged the enemy near Acton Homes, but was also compelled to retire for
fear of being cut off. Being quite conversant with Boer tactics, he
refused to be drawn by the pretence of retreat made by the Dutchmen,
knowing that concealed forces of the enemy in great numbers were waiting
to entrap him. Major Rethman, believing in the old saw that brevity is
the soul of wit, reported his loss as "one hat."

The Dutchmen now advanced. An armoured train, sent by Sir George White
to bring in wounded from Bester's Farm, returned discomfited, as the
rails over the bridge four miles off Ladysmith had been tampered with.
It was found that a farm, which had been deserted earlier in the day,
was now in the occupation of the Boers, but these, though established on
the south side of the line, made no effort to attack the train and
allowed it to return unmolested. Rumours of fighting were in the air,
and skirmishes between advance parties of British troops and Boers were
the order of the day. A report reached the Glencoe camp that the Boers
had been seen some seven miles off, whereupon Major Laming with a
squadron of the 18th Hussars rode out to reconnoitre. Lieutenant Cape,
the advanced officer's patrol, discovered a strong advance party of the
enemy, who delivered a heavy fire, but fortunately without result. This
most probably was due to the swift and clever manoeuvring of the
Hussars.

The Carabineers and Border Mounted Rifles, who were