ed and some of the
clearance done, tents and gear were hidden, ammunition and rations
distributed to all, and orders in case of an attack given out. As I
could not be everywhere, I had to rely on the outlying groups of men
fully understanding my aims beforehand, and acting on their "own." To
prevent our chance of a close-range volley into the enemy being spoilt
by some over-zealous or jumpy man opening fire at long range, I gave
orders that fire was to be held as long as possible, and that no man
was to fire a shot until firing had already commenced elsewhere (which
sounded rather Irish), or my whistle sounded. This was unless the
enemy were so close to him that further silence was useless. Firing
having once started, every man was to blaze away at any enemy within
range as judged by our range marks. Finally, we turned in to our pits
for the night with some complacency, each eight men furnishing their
own sentry.

We had about three hours next morning before any enemy were reported
from Waschout Hill (the pre-arranged signal for this was the raising
of a pole from one of the huts). This time was employed in perfecting
our defences in various ways. We managed to clear away the scrub in
the dry river-bed and banks for some 200 yards beyond our line of pits
on each side, and actually attained to the refinement of an
"obstacle;" for at the extremity of this clearance a sort of _abatis_
entanglement was made with the wire from an adjacent fence which the
men had discovered. During the morning I visited the post on Waschout
Hill, found everything correct, and took the opportunity of showing
the detachment the exact limits of our position in the river-bed, and
explained what we were going to do. After about three hours' work,
"Somebody in sight" was signalled, and we soon after saw from our
position a cloud of dust away to the north. This force, which proved
to be a commando, approached as already described in the last dream;
all we could do meanwhile was to sit tight in concealment. Their
scouts came on in clumps of twos and threes which extended over some
mile of front, the centre of the line heading for the drift. As the
scouts got closer, the natural impulse to make for the easiest
crossing place was obeyed by two or three of the parties on each side
of the one approaching the drift, and they inclined inwards and joined
forces with it. This was evidently the largest party we could hope to
surprise, and we accordingly lay