COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 349 



Forfar were attached, came from Montrave. The 

 men were delighted to see him and gave him a grand 

 reception, and he gave them an excellent character, 

 ''always cheery and willing," and spoke most highly 

 of Pullar and Jack Gilmour and applied for D.S.O. 

 for him. I proposed Pullar's health and mentioned 

 his entertainment by Devons and Dorsets, de- 

 scribed in A Yeoman s Letters. The presentation 

 took place at 4.40. They paraded at 3.45 and it 

 began to rain, so Fortune and I went home by next 

 train. 



Corporal Ross in his amusing book, A Yeoman s 

 Letters, makes the following references to the Fife 

 Light Horse (page 36) : — 



" This fine squadron of yeomanry under Captain 

 Hodge had also joined Mahon at Pretoria on July 

 1 6th. . . . On 31st October the Fifes were having a 

 warm time. When we got into camp we heard from 

 our old friend Sergeant Pullar that their gallant and 

 popular Captain Hodge, 12th Lancers, was severely 

 wounded and had died the following night at Volk- 

 fontein and was buried the next morning. I doubt 

 the Fifes will never forget that day. With reveille 

 the rain began to pour in torrents. The Fifes were 

 told off for rear-guard. One tent had been left 

 standing. Right and left of its entrance stood the 

 firing party and the rest of the squadron. The 

 sergeants presently emerged bearing on a stretcher, 

 sown up in a military brown blanket, the mortal 

 remains of their Captain. Then through the never- 



