adoption of the Mark VI, had placed very large orders with the
contractors, probably for some forty to fifty million rounds, and these
orders had been, to a large extent, executed, while, naturally, the
stocks of Mark V had been practically depleted. The result was that the
War Office found itself in the critical position of entering upon a war
with actually a shortage of rifle ammunition. It will be remembered that
the Government of India came to the rescue.

I had now been in London over a year. The question of my return had not
been raised. Kingston was still Premier, and my _locum tenens_, a Colonel
Stuart, continued acting for me as Commandant in South Australia.

CHAPTER X

OFF TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR

Towards the middle of September, 1899, rumours of war began to spread.
Early in October war was declared. At that time a squadron of the New
South Wales Lancers, which had been sent home by voluntary subscription,
was undergoing a course of training in England under the command of
Captain Cox. The officers and men volunteered, and they were the first
Australian mounted troops to land in South Africa.

I was naturally very anxious to go out myself, so I cabled to the
Governments of the several colonies for the necessary leave. They
refused, for the very good reason that as war had been declared it was
just the very time when they required the services of their military
adviser in England. I could not quarrel with their decision. I thought
once more of my old friend, Charles Cameron Kingston, cabled to him
explaining the position, and suggested that I should resign my
appointment as Inspector of Warlike Stores, return to my dormant
appointment as Commandant of South Australia, and on my arrival in
Adelaide obtain permission to proceed to South Africa as a special
service officer, if this could be arranged without my having to give up
the Commandantship. I felt fairly certain of securing a position on the
staff of the Commander-in-Chief in connexion with the mounted contingents
of the Australian colonies, which were being so freely offered by all of
them to the Mother Country. Kingston once again met my wishes. I cabled
my resignation to the Governments I was serving, and, being fortunate
enough to secure first-rate accommodation for the wife and family, set
sail for Australia a few days after war was declared, in the middle of
October, in what was then the finest passenger boat to Australia, the
German