474 APPENDIX 



" I have just had a temporary rise from the ranks. At least, I suppose 



it is intended for a rise, as I have been made General 's orderly. 



Saturday was my first day, and most of it I spent well up in the firing line 

 holding the General's horse and mine, and didn't the bullets come. But, 

 thank God, neither I nor the horses were hit. Sunday was fairly quiet, 

 except for a little sniping. But this morning I had it hot again. 



" I had to take an order to the O.C. one of the firing lines, and mounted 

 as I was, and galloping hard, made a fine mark for the Boers, and coming 

 back, they turned a pom-pom full on me. I had about 500 yards of it, and 

 quite enough, thank you. One shot hit my mare, and although it cut her, 

 it fortunately did not stop her galloping. The General saw it all from 

 where he was standing, and looked awfully pleased when I got back safe, 

 and told me that he thought both I and my horse ' must have charmed 

 lives.' I don't know how it was that we both came through so well. I 

 hope my luck will last ! 



" I am off duty just now for dinner, but as that only consists of one 

 ' dog ' biscuit and water it doesn't take long ; but I am very fit, and never 

 felt better in my life. I am writing this to catch the mail closing at 4 p.m., 

 and while I write the shells keep whistling overhead from a big gun our 

 artillery can't get at. 



" The Boers are wily beasts, they shift their guns about every half-hour, 

 so we can't get much of a ' sitting ' shot at any of them, but they get it 

 hot when our shells do get home. I saw six Boers and their horses 

 knocked over by a shell on Saturday, and not one of them got up again. 

 Hunting is all over now, I suppose, and you will just be getting ready for 

 cricket. I almost wish sometimes that I was at home for it, and I am sure 

 that at night I often wish I was in a nice warm bed, for we get it awfully 

 cold now after sundown. A shell has just landed fair in the camp and 

 stampeded a lot of our mules and waggons, and although the niggers 

 are after them, it looks very much as if the whole lot had gone for 

 good ! '' 



