30 
SPORT AND WAR. 
CHAP. VI. 
A short time after peace was concluded with the 
Kafirs the commanding officer received orders for a 
detachment to proceed to the Buffalo Poort forest to 
cut down timber, wherewith to build a house at King 
William’s Town for Sir Harry Smith. A Sergeant 
Cohen and twelve men of the Highlanders were sent 
upon this duty,' and formed a camp under the great 
trees in the forest, fencing themselves in with an 
abbatis of bus!). 
The major who commanded the post was a curious 
specimen of a soldier of the old school. In those days 
it was not so much the rank of the officer that 
obtained for him the admiration of the junior officers 
as the quantity of liquor he could stow away under 
his belt, and it was quite wonderful what this old 
gentleman could do in that way. 
A few days after this party had established them¬ 
selves at the forest I went down to King William’s 
Town, on leave of absence for the day, returning 
about nine o’clock p.m. and proceeded at once to 
report myself. As I rode into the fort gate, the 
detachment at the forest commenced firing as fast as 
they could load, and I feared that the bush party was 
attacked by the Kafirs, and the war broken out 
again. 
The major had a hut with two rooms, info which I 
hurried to report my return and what was taking 
