pped behind among the rocks and ledges of a donga; so that when
twelve of them attempted to make their way up this natural zigzag
approach in order to fire upon the retiring picket they were themselves
received at 400 yards by a well-directed sputter of musketry, and were
glad to make off with five riderless horses, two men upon one horse, and
leaving three lying quite still on the ground. Thereafter the picket
continued to retreat unmolested.

Indeed, the New Year opened well, and many little things seem to favour
the hope that it is the turning point of the war. Besides our tiny
skirmish on the right, Captain Gough, of the 16th Lancers, on the left,
made his way along a convenient depression, almost to the river bank,
and discovered Boers having tea in their camp at scarcely 1,800 yards.
Forthwith he opened fire, causing great commotion; hurried upsetting of
the tea, scrambling into tents for rifle, 'confounded impudence of these
cursed rooineks! Come quickly Hans, Pieter, O'Brien, and John Smith, and
let us mend their manners. What do they mean by harassing us?' And in a
very few minutes there was a wrathful rattle of firing all along the
trenches on the hillside, which spread far away to the right and left as
other Boers heard it. What the deuce is this? Another attack! Till at
last the Maxim shell gun caught the infection, and began pom, pom, pom!
pom, pom, pom! and so on at intervals. Evidently much angry passion was
aroused in the Boer camp, and all because Captain Gough had been trying
his luck at long range volleys. The situation might have become serious;
the event was, however, fortunate. No smoke betrayed the position of the
scouting party; no bullets found them. A heavy shower of metal sang and
whistled at random in the air. The donga afforded an excellent line of
retreat, and when the adventurous patrol had retired safely into the
camp they were amused to hear the Boers still busy with the supposed
chastisement of their audacious assailants.

But these are small incidents which, though they break the monotony of
the camp, do not alter nor, each by itself, greatly accelerate the
course of the war. Good news came in on New Year's Day from other
quarters. Near Belmont the Canadians and Queenslanders fell on a raiding
or reckless commando, took them on at their own game, hunted them and
shot them among the rocks until the white flag was upon the right side
for once and hoisted in honest surrender. Forty prison