COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 351 



plate, knife, fork and spoon in a haversack, we sat 

 down, on S.S.A. cordite mark iv. boxes, to a rattling 

 good repast, to which we did ample justice. Then 

 it rained, and we had to rig up our blanket hutches, 

 and our guest sped back to his tent." 



From Arthur Gore, 88th Connaught Rangers : 



" MYBURG, i8th December, igoi. 



" I think I was in this same ungenerous spot when 

 I last wrote. Since then I have been a good long 

 trek. I was once more mounted and went off from 

 Aliwal along the Jamestown road. We trekked 

 about twenty miles that night. We were about 180 

 and waggons. The day after I was sent out with 

 twelve men and fourteen pack mules to convey food 

 to Lovat's Scouts, who were on a high kopje called 

 Telemachus Kop. My orders were to take them 

 to the bottom and they could send for them. Nobody 

 came, so guarded by the Cape Policemen, I went on, 

 having heard they were starving. After going about 

 eighteen miles we came on them galloping off, and 

 came to Zuurlaagte, where the regiment fought in July. 

 My poor mare cut an artery in her fetlock and bled 

 horribly. I was advance guard with a Cape Police- 

 man and we got there all right. Next day four of 

 our men went out to bring in a horse ; about three 

 miles out P'ouchie caught two of them and shot them 

 in cold blood. The way was very steep and one 

 pack rolled down about two miles of precipice. 

 Eventually we caught them up (Lovat's Scouts), and 

 they fell to quickly on jam and biscuits, having eaten 



