er on, I found that I suffered a good
deal when riding and that I had received an internal injury which
afterwards caused me considerable trouble.

I shall never forget the constant and uniform kindness which I met at the
hands of Lord Kitchener. Many and very different opinions of Lord
Kitchener's capabilities as a soldier and of his temperament as a man
have been expressed. I formed my own opinion in both capacities from
actual and continuous contact with him in his work. He was a silent man.
Talk was of no value to him when it wasn't to the point. He possessed a
peculiar but very useful gift of getting at the kernel of a subject,
seizing its meaning and promptly making up his mind what action he was
going to take. If he wanted any further information on any point he asked
you for it. If he didn't want it, he did not thank you for volunteering
to give it. He was a master of detail. He was forceful in his
opinions--too forceful for those who disagreed with him. He may not have
been too generous in giving open praise, but he never forgot those who
had done him good service. As to whether he was a great general I have no
opinion to offer, but he could always be depended upon to carry out
whatever he took in hand.

During his trip to Tasmania, years later on, at the time of his
inspection of the Forces of the Australian Colonies, a Light Horse Camp
was being held at a place called Mona Vale belonging to Major Eustace
Cameron who commanded the Light Horse. The homestead was a fine modern
house. Mrs. Cameron had arranged for a large party of young people during
the period of the camp. Lord Kitchener was the guest of Cameron for the
day and night of his inspection. After dinner that evening a small dance
was held. Songs with choruses were sung between the dances, and perhaps
nobody enjoyed himself so much as Lord Kitchener. Later on in the
evening, or rather in the early hours of the morning, he told us several
good stories and much hearty laughter filled the smoking-room. Lord
Kitchener was no woman-hater.

War has not always a grave side. Interesting events, and sometimes even
amusing ones, intervene. Some of them now come to my mind. In the early
part of the war Capetown had become overrun with men in officers'
uniforms and many ladies, most of whom were by way of being attached to
voluntary and other hospitals. Most of these ladies were amateur, not
qualified nurses. Mount Nelson Hotel was their chief resort. While a v