ted force and the
Elswick Battery, and is now pushing on ahead. I hear that Paget's
object is to prevent De Wet from joining Botha, and that Baden-Powell
has seized some drift ahead over which he must pass. Fancy De Wet up
here! An alternative to Maconochie was issued to-day, in the shape of
an excellent brand of pressed beef.

_August 22._--Reveille at 3 A.M. for the right section, who moved off
at once, and at 3.45 for my section. We started at 5.30, and marched
pretty quickly all the morning to Pynaar's River, which consists of a
station on the railway, and a few gutted houses. A fine iron bridge
over the river had been blown up, and was lying with its back broken
in the water. We camped here about one, and thought we were in for a
decent rest, after several very short nights. I ate something, and was
soon fast asleep by my saddle; but at three "harness up" was ordered,
and off we went, but only for a few hundred yards, when the column
halted, and after wasting two hours in the same place, moved back to
camp again. One would like to know the Staff secrets now and then in
_contretemps_ like this; but no doubt one cause is the thick bush,
which makes the enemy's movements difficult to follow. Rum to-night.
We went to bed without any orders for reveille, which came with
vexatious suddenness at 10.45 P.M. I had had about two hours' sleep.
Up we got, harnessed up, hooked in, and groped in the worst of tempers
to where the column was collecting, wondering what was up now. We soon
started--no moon and very dark--on a road composed of fine, deep dust,
which raised a kind of fog all round, through which I could barely see
the lead-driver's back. The order was no talking, no smoking, no
lights, and we moved silently along under the stars, wrapped in
darkness and dust. Happily the road was level, but night marching is
always rather trying work for a driver. One's nerves are continually
on edge with the constant little checks that occur. The pair in front
of you seem to swim as you strain your eyes to watch the traces, and
keep the team in even draught; but, do what you can, there is a good
deal of jerking into the collar, and narrow shades of getting legs
over traces. Once I saw the General's white horse come glimmering by
and melt into the darkness. About 3.30 A.M. lights and fires appeared
ahead, and we came on the camp of some other force of ours, all ready
to start; soldiers' figures seen silhouetted against the dancing lig