ontaining
lines. Jacobsdaal was captured on the same day, and on the 16th of
February began the fighting at Paardeberg, which was only brought to an
end by Cronje's surrender on the 27th.

However, one was only (as I have said) in the stagnant middle of things
at Jacobsdaal, and the outer currents did not reach us. From our point
of view Jacobsdaal was not an important station on the war-path to
Bloemfontein; it was simply a place of insufficient food, bad smells,
choking dust, and many hospitals. The Red Cross flag flew from all the
churches and every available house; furniture was piled in verandahs,
and pews were stacked in churchyards.

Enteric was rife there; but could a man, officer or private, who had
been out for twelve hours on foraging or convoy duty, sit down and boil
his water and then wait for a drink until it cooled? Because the water
looked clear and innocent they drank it by the quart, and therefore the
hospitals were full. Jacobsdaal is responsible for many of the
inglorious deaths of "active service."

Early one morning, while the air was yet fresh and cool, General Wavell
took me round with him on his hospital inspection. He is one of the
small, keen, kind-eyed men who emerge in the senior ranks of the army.
One never meets them as subalterns, and they represent the army's best
workmanship in the matter of moulding and finishing. We were still
talking about the "pretty" little action when we entered the first
hospital--a small Dutch church. I should have said that besides our own
field hospitals at Jacobsdaal there was a Boer hospital and one of the
German Red Cross Society.

This first was the Boer hospital, and even at this early hour the air
was pungent with the reek of strong tobacco. The General spoke to all
the patients, and had a kind word for everyone, and they all greeted him
with gratitude and cordiality. Their one cry was, "We've had as much as
we want. If we could only get back to our farms!" Most of those to whom
I spoke said that they had never wanted to fight us, never hoped to beat
us, and were heartily sick of the whole affair. "I wish I could send you
back to your homes, men," said the General; "but I must obey orders."
They chatted away to us, and said they hoped the General would come in
often. It was much the same in the German and English houses, only here
Boers and Englishmen lay side by side, sharing pipes and papers and talk
with each other. Truly, animosity ceases at the