APPENDIX 473 



The two Misses Willson were at the tail of the hounds throughout the 

 whole of the run, as they invariably are ; still, I should like to see Miss 

 Laura once more on the dark chestnut. Mr. F. Rhodes and Mr. A. Cross 

 need no words from my pen to describe how well each rode, for all know 

 they are fine performers in any country and in the best company. Colonel 

 Willson, Mr. Kirk and Mr. Maudesley also rode extremely well to hounds. 



Scout. 



The following interesting letter is from a son to a father, both Essex 

 men and both members of the Essex Hunt, written from South Africa during 

 the Boer War, and is a pretty good proof, if any were required, of the spirit 

 that animates the majority of those who follow the hound and horn :^ 



" Wakkerstroom Camp, 

 '^Apyil 2yd, 1900. 



" My dear Father, — At last the long-looked-for event has come off 

 and we have got fairly up to the enemy, while at the same time ' yours 

 truly ' has been under a good hot fire and come out safe and sound. 



" On Friday we joined a column under General Rundle, at Edenburg, 

 and marched here, past the place where the Irish Rifles distinguished 

 themselves ; we formed the right out-flank of the advance guard, and had 

 gone about four miles when our scouts were fired at, so up the rest of us 

 galloped, ' offed ' horses and rushed up a kopje, and got to the top just in 

 time to see about eight or nine Boers, the rearguard of their force, disap- 

 pearing over the next. 



" Our orders were to draw the enemy's fire, if possible, so we pushed 

 on as soon as our horses came up, mounted and galloped after the Boers 

 for about two miles, when we came to a long range of kopjes, up which we 

 climbed, and there the enemy was, right in front of us, about 1,500 yards 

 away. 



" Then the fun began, and didn't the bullets whizz around ; they make 

 you feel funny at first, but very soon all you think about is to try and get 

 one as near to them as they put theirs to you. We had been at this for 

 about a quarter of an hour when the Boers turned a gun on us, and we had 

 orders to move, so we crept back to our horses and were off ; but as soon 

 as we mounted the Boers turned two more pom-poms on us, and we had to 

 gallop as hard as we could ; the beggars had the range exact and pitched 



their shells all amongst us ; one fell right between and me, and, 



although it covered us both with dirt, neither us nor our horses were hit. 

 We had about half a mile of this, and the only casualty on our side was 

 one horse wounded. These Boers seemed to be rank bad shots ; still, I 

 mustn't brag, as we have got to get through a lot more hot work, and we 

 are only waiting now for French to come up w'ith the cavalry. 



" Two of the scouts who are with us have been with Buller since the 

 beginning of the campaign, and they say that they have not been in a hotter 

 place than they were in when out with us on Friday, so we were lucky. It 

 is an experience, and, provided one comes out all right, worth going through ; 

 the whistle of the bullets makes you duck at first, but that is of no use 

 really, for the bullet has passed miles away by the time that you have 

 ducked your head. 



" I had one awful close shave. We were advancing at the double, when 

 a bullet struck my haversack and tore it open, and sad to say, all my grub 



and the sleeping cap that mother made me and the ' housewife' that • 



made fell out, and I couldn't possibly stop and pick them up, as the bullets 

 were coming much too thick, but I am very sick at losing them, as they are 

 all I have, and I can get no others. 



