204 
SPORT AND WAR. 
CHAP. XXI. 
But to continue. On the 30tli we moved ou and 
halted a little short of Harrismith—not at the town 
itself, as is marked on the map. I know this well, from 
the circumstance that our wagon reached that town by 
the morning 6 trek ’ before the Governor’s camp came in, 
and I by chance bought the only stock of forage in the 
place. Harrismith is the last village in the Free State. 
The road thence crosses over the Dragonsberg range 
of mountains, and drops down into Natal, where we 
knew there would be little or no forage, and the grass 
at that time of the year is all burnt up by grass fires. 
This caused a great dilemma with His Excellency 
the Governor’s caterer, an officer who well knew how to 
take care of his horses and mules ; he therefore came to 
Currie and me, and we made a compromise about the 
forage. I had bought it all—300 bundles—but with 
our small wagon there was not room to carry on what we 
required, and it was agreed that Bivers was to hire a 
wagon and bring on a sufficient supply to give us 100 
bundles of the oat-sheaves at our night’s halt. We had 
a long and difficult day over the great mountain range, 
and pitched our combined camp at the foot of it, in 
the colony of Natal. After we had dined and were 
sitting round the camp-fires, the Dutchman’s wagon 
arrived with the oat-hay; but behold ! instead of 300 
bundles, only 100 bundles came in all! Our Hottentot 
leader and driver had been desired to go to the wagon 
