e shout of '494' they went into
the battle, and when they came out their little Christian company was
sorely depleted. But now they had time to look round, to count up their
losses, to greet their comrades of other regiments again, to receive
fresh accessions to their ranks.

=The Soldiers' Home.=

Mr. Percy Huskisson, of the South African General Mission, quickly
secured the use of the native day school, which was also the worship
room for the Wesleyan natives, and fitted it up as a Soldiers' Home. He
and his colleague, Mr. Darroll, were indefatigable in their efforts on
behalf of the men, and night by night the newly transformed Home was
crowded. Lord Methuen himself opened it, and personally thanked the
workers for their splendid services on the field of battle. In the
course of his address, he said: 'I have heard of newspaper
correspondents risking their lives when they are well paid for it, but
you fellows seem to have no idea of danger; the shadow of the Almighty
seems over you, or you would have been, ere this, in your graves, with
many more of our brave men.' But under the shadow of the Almighty, the
workers were secure, and are secure to-day!

=Local Helpers in Good Work.=

One of the best helpers the chaplains had was Mr. Westerman, who held an
important position on the railway line, and who was steward of the
Wesleyan Church at Modder River. He had been a prisoner among the Boers
for six weeks, and on many occasions they had threatened to shoot him as
a spy. They had not, however, injured him or his property in any way. It
was, therefore, a most unfortunate occurrence that this good man's house
and furniture should have been wantonly damaged by British soldiers on
their arrival at the place. Evidently they thought the house belonged to
a Boer. An order was, of course, promptly issued stopping such wanton
destruction for the future.

Another good Christian man at Modder River was Mr. Fraser, a Scotch
Presbyterian, whose house had been most unfortunately wrecked by the
bombardment. He and Mr. Westerman met week by week, during the period of
the Boer invasion, for Christian worship. These two gentlemen rendered
splendid service to our Christian soldiers, and to them both we are
greatly indebted. Every chaplain, every scripture reader, every agent of
every society, every Christian soldier was now busily at work. The
battles had made a great impression on the men. The war had only just
begun, and they kn