in a few feet of hitting the exact
mark aimed at from a range of nearly five miles. Since then, however,
the hotel has been nearly struck several times, and on each occasion
about the same hour, so that the most sceptical are now changing their
opinions in favour of a belief that the Royal Hotel has been marked for
destruction. Out of consideration for other guests, therefore, Colonel
Rhodes, "the Doctor," Sir John Willoughby, and Lord Ava have taken up
their quarters elsewhere.

It may be a mere coincidence, but since their departure shells have
fallen less frequently in this part of the town, though a great many
have passed close over the Town Hall, on which a Red Cross flag floats,
denoting its use as a refuge for sick and wounded, and the Convent
Hospital, conspicuously placed on a ridge behind, has been completely
wrecked inside. Fortunately, however, the convalescent patients and
nurses were got away before that happened. It will probably be pleaded
in justification of the Boers that these buildings, being directly in
the line of fire behind our naval batteries, were liable to be hit by
high shots from "Long Tom." The same excuse, however, cannot be made in
other cases when shells fell among houses that are not in line with any
defensive work, camp, or arsenal. One cannot suppose that a mere desire
for wanton destruction of life and property directed the shots, which
were probably aimed on the off-chance of hitting officers known or
believed to be living in those houses. That would be sufficient
justification according to all the accepted ethics of war, and some
military men contend even that the Boers would be quite right to shell
Ladysmith until it was reduced to ruins if they hoped to accelerate
thereby the work they have taken in hand. It must be remembered that
Joubert's main object just now is to gain possession of the town, which
it is said he has sworn to capture, and if he thought that end could be
hastened by ceaseless bombardment of the place, involving possible
slaughter of many unarmed people, there is nothing in the law of nations
to prevent him, so long as a military force remains here ostensibly for
the defence of Ladysmith.

So runs the argument, but it would be preposterous to assume that
General Joubert thinks he can reduce British troops to submission or
bring about an evacuation by such feeble means. Sir George White has,
from humane motives, yielded points to his adversary which most of us