Colonel
contemptuously remarked, "What's the use of sending an expedition to
repair telegraph lines? An old woman can cut 'em again ten minutes after
you've gone."

The other flying column was under General Douglas, and was sent out
eastward in search of a commando known to be in the neighbourhood. As
both columns started on the same day (April 11th) I could not be with
both, so I chose General Douglas's as offering the better chances of an
engagement. Two days before Lord Chesham had conducted a reconnaissance
with his cavalry, to which I had been invited, and at which he had
promised me "fine sport." Result: a fine cross-country gallop, a deal of
used-up horseflesh, a number of tired and (because they had been hurried
out without their breakfasts) rather cross men, and a sight of a few
Boers riding off at a distance of five miles. "Butterflies" was
someone's description of these elusive enemies of ours; and when one
considers what a fine chase they gave us, and how hot and cross we
became in the course of it, the description seems not inapt.

General Douglas's column, consisting of a battalion of the Northamptons,
300 Imperial Yeomanry, 50 men of the Kimberley Mounted Corps, a section
of Field Artillery, Ambulance and Supply Corps, set out before dawn on
Wednesday, April 11th. We marched, as it had hitherto been my lot always
to march in this campaign, eastwards towards the fires of dawn, leaving
the dark night-sky behind us. The waggons creaked and jolted across the
rough veldt, the gun harness jingled, the horses snorted out the cold
air, the Kaffirs cried to their beasts; and in this discordant chorus we
stretched out across the sea-plain while the east kindled and glowed.
Above us the clouds changed from grey to dove-colour, from that to
rose-pink; and then, straight before us, the sun came up and gave us
gold for redness. The little purple wild flowers opened, showing us
where the night had left a jewel on every petal, and the sleepy soldiers
plucked them as they passed and cheered themselves with their faint
fragrance. The day, like the night, comes quickly there, and brings with
it an even greater change. For in that last week of autumn we tasted of
every season; hot summer days, nights of spring, dark, cold winter
mornings by the camp fire; and it was when night changed to day that
winter faded into summer. For that reason, I suppose, the hour after
sunrise was the most invigorating of all, and long before th