piquets on
King's Post and then the sangar of the Manchesters in Caesar's Camp. It
enfilades both positions with equal ease.

The Rifles had a narrow escape as they were at work on a wall, the top
of which was struck by a shell, and splinters flew all round without
hitting anybody. The Manchesters were not so fortunate, having three men
wounded, but none seriously. While I write, smoking concerts are being
held in the camps of Imperial Light Horse and Natal Volunteers, from
whose strong lungs the notes of "God Save the Queen" roll in a volume
that can be heard a mile off. Perhaps some faint echoes of it may stir
the air about sleeping Boers on Bulwaan.

_November 28._--A misty morning with rain, which does not prevent the
enemy from sending a few shots into town. Middle Hill, Rifleman's
Ridge, Telegraph Hill, with its three 9-pounders, which the Rifle
Brigade men, for quaint reasons of their own, name Faith, Hope, and
Charity, all have a turn at us, and our batteries reply; but there is
not much vigour in it on either side until Middle Hill, with its Creusot
94-pounder, and the howitzer on Surprise Hill, begin to shell our naval
12-pounders. There they touch Captain Lambton on a tender point, and he
lets them have it back with a will. To-day we have been cheered by news
of the victory over the Boers near Mooi River, but for Natal people
satisfaction is dashed by the thought that if Boers are so far down they
have raided the most fertile part of the Colony, and probably carried
off pedigree cattle that are priceless.

_November 29._--The night has been passed in preparing a surprise for
the big Creusot gun on Middle Hill, which, because of his propensity for
throwing shells into everybody's mess, has come to be known as the
"Meddler." Deep gun-pits are dug on the northern slope of Waggon Hill,
where on a nek they are screened by the higher spur from view of Middle
Hill. In these pits two old-fashioned howitzers, throwing shells with
sixty pounds of black powder for bursting charge, are mounted. Captain
Christie, R.A., takes command of them and waits his chance, which does
not come for a long time, the cannonade being at first confined to a
duel between Captain Lambton's pet, "Lady Anne," and "Puffing Billy" of
Bulwaan. At length, however, the "Meddler" chimes in, and Captain
Christie immediately looses off his two howitzers in succession. They
cannot be laid by sights on the object aimed at, which is hidden from
view.