mentioned, a sentry gives warning by blowing a whistle. The mocking
bird now sounds that whistle at all times of the day, and what is even
more perplexing, he is learning to imitate the scream and buzzle of the
shell through the air. He may learn the explosion next. I mention this
peculiar fact for the benefit of future ornithologists, who might
otherwise be puzzled at his form of song.

Another interesting event in natural history occurred a short time ago
up the Port road. A Bulwan shell, missing the top of Convent Hill,
lobbed over and burst at random with its usual din and circumstance.
People rushed up to see what damage it had done, but they only found two
little dead birds--one with a tiny hole in her breast, the other with an
eye knocked out. Ninety-six pounds of iron, brass, and melinite, hurled
four miles through the air, at unknown cost, just to deal a true-lovers'
death to two sparrows, five of which are sold for one farthing!

_Sunday, January 21, 1900._

After varying my trek-ox rations by catching a kind of barbel with a
worm in the yellow Klip, I went again to Observation Hill, and with the
greater interest because every one was saying two of the Boer camps were
in flames. Of course it was a lie. The camps stood in their usual places
quite undisturbed. But I saw one of our great shells burst high up the
mountain side of Taba Nyama (Black Mountain) instead of on the plain at
its foot, and with that sign of forward movement I was obliged to be
content.

CHAPTER XVIII

"WITHIN MEASURABLE DISTANCE"

_January 22, 1900._

Twelve weeks to-day since Black Monday, when our isolation really began!
A heliogram came from Buller to say all was going well, and in this
evening's Orders we were officially informed that relief is "within
measurable distance." I don't know about time, but in space that
measurable distance is hardly more than fifteen miles. From Observation
Hill I again watched the British shells breaking over the ridge above
the ford. The Boers had moved one of their waggon laagers a little
further back, but the main camps were unchanged. With a telescope I
could make out where their hospital was--in a cottage by a wood--and I
followed an ambulance waggon driving at a trot to three or four points
on ridge and plain, gathering up the sick or wounded, and returning to
hospital.

The mass of Boers appeared to be lying under the shelter of Taba Nyama
(or Intaba Mnyama--Black Moun