In the afternoon I rode up to the Rifle Brigade at King's Post, above
the old camp, and met Captain Paley, whom I last saw administering a
province in Crete. Suddenly the Boer guns began firing from Surprise
Hill and Thornhill's Kop, just north of us, and the shells passing over
our heads, crashed right into the 18th Hussar camp beside a little
bridge over the river below. Surprise Hill alone dropped five shells in
succession among the crowded tents, horses, and men. The men began
hurrying about like ants. Tents were struck at once, horses saddled,
everything possible taken up, and the whole regiment sought cover in a
little defile close by. Within half an hour of the first shell the place
was deserted. The same guns compelled the Naval Brigade to shift their
position last night. We have not much to teach the Boer gunners, except
the superiority of our shells.

The bombardment then became general; only three Gordons were wounded,
but the town suffered a good deal. Three of "Long Tom's" shells pitched
in the main street, one close in front of a little girl, who escaped
unhurt. Another carried away the heavy stone porch of the Anglican
Church, and, at dinner-time, "Silent Susan" made a mark on the hotel,
but it was empty. Just before midnight the guns began again. I watched
them flashing from Bulwan and the other hills, but could not mark what
harm they did. It was a still, hot night, with a large waning moon. In
the north-west the Boers were flashing an electric searchlight,
apparently from a railway truck on the Harrismith line. The nation of
farmers is not much behind the age. They will be sending up a balloon
next.

_November 21, 1899._

The desultory bombardment went on as usual, except that "Long Tom" did
not fire. The Staff is said to have lost heliographic communication with
the south. To-day they sent off two passenger pigeons for Maritzburg.
The rumour also went that the wounded Dublins, taken to Intombi Spruit,
from the unfortunate armoured train, had heard an official report of
Buller's arrival at Bloemfontein after heavy losses. Another rumour told
that many Boer wives and daughters were arriving in the laagers. They
were seen, especially on Sunday, parading quite prettily in white
frocks. This report has roused the liveliest indignation, which I can
only attribute to envy. In our own vulgar land, companies would be
running cheap excursions to witness the siege of Ladysmith--one shilling
extra to