138 TALES OF A NOMAD. 



" Mynheer, give my best compliments to Major 

 Brooke," said he. 



" I will," I answered, and rode on. 



This was the Boer's polite way of letting me under- 

 stand that he knew perfectly well where I was going. 



I found Major Brooke in a particularly cheerful mood. 

 The prospect of impending conflict increased his natural 

 geniality of disposition, and his eyes twinkled with 

 humorous contentment as he walked about waving a 

 fly flapper, giving directions to his men, who were 

 intrenching and making all preparations for a siege. 



Every now and then another volunteer would come 

 in and proffer his services, and as Brooke beheld his 

 food for powder accumulate so did a more and more 

 benevolent expression settle upon his countenance. 



Could he only have mounted all his force, I think he 

 would have sent a note to the Boer commandant to 

 tell him to get ready, and have then ridden out with the 

 whole posse to attack him. 



The fort at Marabastadt was a square work, consisting 

 of a deep ditch and a high bank. The parapet was 

 lined with sandbags, so arranged as to form loopholes 

 through which to fire at the enemy. The lines consisted 

 of circular huts in the form of a street, with rows of huts 

 on each side. They were without the fort and were 

 raked by the fire of the fort. The canteen was loop- 

 holed and turned into an outwork, and it was assigned 

 to the volunteers. The detachment of Hottentot 

 mounted police under Mr. Thompson built a work for 

 themselves. These were all connected with the fort 

 by sunken ways. Roughly speaking, the works were in 

 the shape of a cross. The fort was at the intersection 

 of the timbers. The long leg represented the lines. 



