hether these
Boers can shoot or not;" and there he remained in full view of them for
nearly a minute, while Mauser bullets hummed about him like a swarm of
wasps. Such an act may seem like senseless bravado, but those who know
Archibald Hunter well know that he had an object in giving this example
of coolness and pluck.

_November 24._--The Boers made a clever cattle-raid this morning. Twenty
spans of trek-oxen had been sent to graze on the veldt between our
outposts and Rifleman's Ridge in charge of Kaffir herd-boys. Slowly they
grazed towards better pasturage, nearer and nearer to the Boer lines,
from which shells in rapid succession were sent to burst just in rear of
the herds. Mounted infantry of the Leicesters attempted again and again,
to herd the cattle back, but they were met each time by heavy
rifle-fire, and at last two or three Boers dashing down the slope
rounded up herd after herd with the dexterity of expert "cow-boys." Thus
no less than 250 valuable trek-oxen fell into the enemy's hands, and we
had the humiliation of looking on helpless while it was being done.

The bombardment has been going on at intervals all day, from seven
o'clock this morning until dusk, when Bulwaan sent several shells on to
Junction Hill, killing three men of the Liverpool Regiment and wounding
eight. This is the most fatal half-hour we have experienced since the
siege began, but there was one lucky escape from a shell which burst in
the guard tent among four men without hurting any of them. For the
depression caused by these serious casualties there is some consolation
in the rumour that "Long Tom" of Pepworth's has been knocked out for
good and all. At any rate his last shot into the town was answered
effectively by the naval 4.7, which sent a shell straight into "Long
Tom's" embrasure, and he has not spoken or given any sign of life since.
Without wearisome iteration it would be impossible to do justice day by
day to the good work of the Naval Brigade under Captain Lambton. Without
the heavy guns of H.M.S. _Powerful_ our state here would be much worse
than it is, and everybody in besieged Ladysmith appreciates the
bluejackets, who are always cheery, always ready for any duty, and whose
good shooting has done much to keep down the fire of Boer artillery.

_November 25._--No hostilities disturb the quietness of morning or early
afternoon, but it is never safe to count on this, and look-out men are
kept constantly on the alert i