ely
surrounded and hemmed in, for the British troops had engaged fiercely,
and had compelled the Boer general to laager in the dry bed of the
Modder river and stop his progress towards Bloemfontein. Then foot by
foot they had crept round him, and on Sunday morning, when Jack looked
out, men in khaki were all round, and he knew that Cronje and his force
of some 6000 Boers were doomed.

In the camp were a few other English prisoners, including Riley, and
these at once set to work with spade and pickaxe, and, copying the
methods of the Boers, dug deeply into the ground and then tunnelled
beneath it, forming large bomb-proof chambers. And in these for four
awful days they lived, never daring to emerge save at night. And all
the time the British troops swept the laager, which was spread over an
area of some two miles, and devastated it with lyddite and shrapnel,
killing most of the draught animals and setting fire to the wagons. But
no one has ever equalled the Boers at trench-digging. In a marvellous
manner they constructed bomb-proof chambers, and sat there for the most
part safe from the British fire. But others of them tried to keep down
the volleys of our soldiers, and amongst these death was soon busy.

On the 27th of February, celebrated all over the Boer dominions as
Majuba Day, Cronje and his forces capitulated unconditionally, and,
throwing down their arms, marched as prisoners into the British camp.
With them were many women and children who had come from their homes to
Magersfontein expressly to celebrate Majuba Day.

It was a glorious success, our first real one. And added to it all was
the news that General French and his mounted men had relieved the
invested and sorely-straitened town of Kimberley on the 15th.

When Jack entered Lord Roberts's camp he was greeted by many friends and
acquaintances, and eagerly questioned as to his experiences. Then he
was conducted to the general's tent, and gave the verbal messages
entrusted to him by B.-P.

"Now, Riley," he said, as soon as he was at liberty once more, "what are
you going to do with yourself? I am going to Kimberley, and if you have
nothing particular to take you down to Cape Town you had better come
with me. A week or so's rest will do you all the good in the world, for
you are still far from strong upon your legs."

"There is no reason for me to go anywhere in particular, old chap,"
Riley answered. "I have no friends down this way, and may