and that he
reported alone to him. The brigadier smiled at his pedantry, remarking
that if he did his job it did not matter much to whom and by whom he
made his reports.

In order to facilitate the early movement of the brigade, it had moved
across the now historic railway-bridge at Orange River and camped in
the Herbert district, with the report that Kimberley was its
destination. For the sake of precaution the brigadier had thrown out
a strong outpost into the hilly country covering the road to Ramah.
Shortly after midnight, the Intelligence officer was sent out with the
final instructions to this outpost. As he stumbled amongst the rocks
he saw in the dim light which the young moon diffused a mounted native
moving along a track below him. The native would have remained
unrecognised, as the distance was considerable, if his horse had not
been a piebald of peculiar marking. The mounted native "had the legs
of" the Intelligence officer; but as he disappeared in the shadows of
night the Intelligence officer's apprehensions were allayed by hearing
the man challenged by a picket from the outpost. In five minutes the
Intelligence officer reached the picket to find the native gone, and
the corporal in charge stated that the man had shown a pass signed by
the Intelligence officer, Orange River Station. This hardly appeared
to be satisfactory; but the corporal, like so many young British
non-commissioned officers, had had no directions concerning native
scouts and passes, and not being trained to take upon himself
precautionary responsibility, had been duly frightened and coerced by
the scrawl of a hieroglyphic on a remnant of blue paper.

The Intelligence officer considered the whole affair with great
suspicion, and when he returned to the headquarters bivouac he walked
down to the new guide's _entourage_ and took stock of his "boys" and
animals. One of the five "boys" was missing, also a piebald pony which
had caught his eye earlier in the day. The Intelligence officer held
his peace, but, armed with this information, determined to watch
future developments, and flung himself down on the roadside to snatch
half an hour's sleep before the forward march should commence.

It was the brigadier's intention to seize Luckhoff--a little hamlet
situated half-way between Orange River and Fauresmith--that morning by
a _coup de main_. To accomplish this he detached half his force
without baggage, under the command of the colonel of