shells do the distance about
two and a-half seconds quicker than theirs, so that we can see the
result of our shot just before one has to duck behind the stones for the
crash and whiz of the enormous shells which started first. To-day most
of "Tom's" shells passed over the batteries, and plunged down the hill
into the town beyond. It is supposed that he must be wearing out. He has
been firing here pretty steadily for over a fortnight, to say nothing of
his work at Dundee. But I think his fire upon the town is quite
deliberate. He might pound away at "Lady Anne" for ever, but there is
always a chance that 96lbs. of iron exploding in a town may, at all
events, kill a mule.

So the bombardment went on cheerily through the early morning, till
about 10.30 it slackened down in the inexplicable Boer fashion, and
hardly one shot an hour was fired afterwards. The surmise goes that
Joubert cannot get his men up to the attacking point. Their loss last
Saturday was certainly heavy.

Yesterday the Boers, with fine simplicity, sent to our ambulance camp
for some chlorodyne because they had run short of it, and were troubled
with dysentery like ourselves. Being at heart a kindly people, we gave
them what they wanted and a little brandy besides. The British soldier
thereupon invents the satire that Joubert asked for some forage because
his horses were hungry, and Sir George White replied: "I would very
gladly accede to your request, but have only enough forage myself to
last three years."

The day passed, and we did not lose a single man. Yet the enemy must
have enjoyed one incident. I was riding up to spend an hour in the
afternoon with Major Churcher and the 200 Royal Irish Fusiliers left at
Range Post, when on an open space between me and their little camp I saw
a squadron of the 18th Hussars circling and doubling about as though
they were practising for the military tournament. Almost before I had
time to think, bang came a huge shell from "Puffing Billy" just over my
head, and pitched between me and them. Happily, it fell short, but it
gave the Dutch gunners a wonderful display of our cavalry's excellence.
Even before I could come up men and horses had vanished into air.

All day strange rumours have been afloat about the Division supposed to
be coming to our relief. It was expected to-morrow. Now it is put off
till Thursday. It is even whispered it will sit quiet at Estcourt, and
not come to our relief at all. To-night is bit