e, therefore, saved much
digging, as it only required some hollowing out at the bottom and a
little excavation to suit admirably.

All dug with a will, and by night the shelters for the women and
children and men prisoners, and the firing trench, were nearly done.
All arrangements for the guards and sentries were the same as those
described in the last dream, and after seeing everything was all
correct and the ladies provided with tents to crawl under (they had
their own blankets), I went to sleep with a feeling of well-earned
security.

At daybreak next morning, as there were no signs of any enemy, we
continued to improve our trench, altering the depth and alignment
where necessary, each man suiting the size of the trench to his own
legs. In the end the trench really looked quite neat, with the fresh
red earth contrasting with the yellow of the veldt. As one of my
reservists remarked, it only wanted an edging of oyster shells or
ginger-beer bottles to be like his little "broccoli patch" at home.
Upon these important details and breakfast a good two hours had been
spent, when a force was reported to the north in the same position as
described in the previous dream. It advanced in the same manner,
except, of course, the advance men were met by no one at the farm.
When I saw this, I could not help patting myself on the back and
smiling at the Dutch ladies in the pit, who only scowled at me in
return, and (whisper) spat!

The advanced party of the enemy came on, scouting carefully and
stalking the farm as they came. As they appeared quite unwarned, I was
wondering if I should be able to surprise them, all innocent of our
presence, with a close-range volley, and then magazine fire into their
midst, when suddenly one man stopped and the others gathered round
him. This was when they were some 1,800 yards away, about on a level
with the end of Incidentamba. They had evidently seen something and
sniffed danger, for there was a short palaver and much pointing. A
messenger then galloped back to the main body, which turned off behind
Incidentamba with its wagons, etc. A small number, including a man on
a white horse, rode off in a vague way to the west. The object of this
move I could not quite see. They appeared to have a vehicle with them
of some sort. The advanced party split up as already described. As all
were still at long range, we could only wait.

Very shortly "boom" went a gun from the top of Incidentamba, and a
sh