With Buller in Natal A Born Leader

been purchased. This appeared an excessive amount, but as there might be a difficulty in obtaining this ammunition, they bought up all that could be found in the town. Peters and his

be paid for ordinary troopers, though several had been bought by officers. The lot the lads had picked out had

hese; but from the rest-and he has some three hundred of them-he let us choose any we liked at one price, and I think I can say that we shall be as well mounted a corps as any out here. Of course we avoided the showy-looking horses, and chose those specially suited to the country an

mittee of inspection were admitted by their friends to be the best judges of horseflesh in the

or them and bring them back. We are lucky indeed to have got

ink there is anything t

ng, so that we can settle up to-morrow for the horses and rifles and ammunition. The hundred pounds we have each been promised will well cover all our expenses up to the moment we start, and I should think leave us with something like twenty pounds apiece in pocket, but all we have and the other hundred for future expenses we had bet

ose that Field, Carmichael, Capper, and, of course, you form the c

that we would come ov

ten o

e money in, give them the list of signatures, and tell them that until further notice two of the four first names will sign the cheques, but that should circumstances prevent any two of them being able

es

d then we can ride the horses back

ndred pounds were handed in, each member having deducted the amount paid for saddlery and clothes. "We wish the account to stand in the name of the Johannesburg Scouts, and cheques will be signed by two of the four names standing firs

f prominent men at Johannesburg, and the great majority had already accounts at his bank,

at as you and your friends represen

d enough to do men's work, and in the Transvaal the Boers are

ou all both on your pat

no doubt that you w

good plan to buy four others to act as pack-horses, and to furnish them with remounts in case any of their own were shot. These were to be sent into the town by two Kaffirs, whom they arranged to take into their service, for the farmer said at once, when they asked him that he could very well spare them, as he would be parting with a c

ounts. Two or three hours were spent in teaching the horses to stand steady as soon as the reins were thrown over their heads, this being a training to which all horses in the Cape are subjected. Then they rode back to the town and arranged with a farmer near it to picket their horses in one of his meadows, and for their feed while they remained there. The rest of the day

ew up in line, as Captain Brookfield, who had sworn them in on the previous afternoon, was to inspect them at eight o'clock. They had all put on their working cl

omposed of such good material. From the fact that you can all speak Dutch, and most of you Kaffir, you will have great opportunities of obtaining information, and can, in case of need, pass as young Boers. In fact, I may say that there is some danger of your being

pulled field-service caps from their pockets, took off the soft felts,

ugh a glass, it could be seen that you are an irregular body of some sort. And this can be still more plainly seen if, as I should advise you, you alwa

mer named Duncan, who has brought th

he best-known horse-breeders in the colon

nate to hear of it, and some of us rode over earl

being formed here and at Durban, and horses wil

that you had better go on at once, for he told me that he had sold sixty yest

rse is all we can afford for the others; they are excellent for ordinary work, though, of course, not so fast as yours, nor quite so big. Your horses have all a strain of English thoroughbred blood, and if you should at any

d for trucks for the horses to be attached to an early train to Dundee. We want to get up i

have two or three days' drill before they start; I am still short of horses, so I will ride on and see Duncan. I want thirty-five more, and as yet, although subscriptions are coming in well, we are still a good deal short of our requirements. However, I dare say I shall be a

that we shall be abl

who is in command there, he may possibly beat them off; but as they can advance towards Ladysmith either from the Free State on one side or the Transvaal on the other, he and his troops would be cut off, and the loyal farmers would be plundered just as much as if Symons had remained at Ladysmith. I fancy all the military men think that a grave mistake has been made, and that General White should not have exposed half his force to disaster. Besid

all have a hard time,

not do. If it rises, it will take all the strength of England to put it down. Well, I wish you all l

the whole of the lad

o the trucks, which is certain to be a troublesome business, as they are altogether new to it, but we shall have to see to our other stores and belongings. I have arranged that we shall travel with the horses, so that we can each stand at the heads of our own animals, and if they are very wild, w

f trucks are

ation-master could not provide any waggons with them. But he showed me these, and as the

d parting that evening between Chris and his mother, but she bore up well. She knew that hundreds of other women were parting with husbands or sons, and she felt that, as t

mpaniment, as usual, of pistol shots. Then they were saddled up, the valises the lads had brought

ooper was left to each two horses, while the rest saw to their bundles of blankets, their stores of tea, sugar, and flour, preserved milk, cocoa, bacon, and tinned food. A couple of frying-pans, and

ith, and others for the force at Dundee. The horses soon became accustomed to the motion, and their masters took the opportunity of familiarizing themselves with them, by talking to them, patting them, and giving them pieces of bread and an occasional lump of sugar. The two Kaf

nd forks, which was the less important since chickens were the staple of the meal; and these had been cut up before starting. Many were the jokes that passed along the line. All felt that it was the last experience they were likely to have of civilized food, and that it would b

the day finished, and the arrival of the train being always an event of some importance in the little town. They wer

leader?" a ma

o an officer. His

ecause he is th

leader, just as you would choose the captain of a cricket club. We all come from Johannesburg, find our own horses, arms, and outfits, and ask nothing whatever from the government; and a

ad a little resented the joking tone

I am quite sure I should like half a dozen of you

d as we were only at Maritzburg thr

e. Of course you are all looking forward to

when he was quite close to him, but fortunately the bullet only went through his hat. Chris knocked him down and gave him a tremendous thrashing with his own whip. Then we took some provisions and paid for them, and searching the house, found twelve Mauser rifles and a lot of ammunition. We took these off withou

"that was an excellent beginning, and I ha

dee. It was a larger place than Ladysmith, as there were some coal-mines in the neighbourhood, and a considerable number of men were employed in them. Like Ladysmith it is situated on a plain dominate

equipment, and food, provide our own rations, and, of course, serve without pay, we propose to scout on our own account, and as we all speak Dutch well

u will be of good servic

can camp any

n matter little where you post yourselves; but I don'

sheet, and intend to use them as tentes d'abri. I suppose I

amp is a mile and a half away; if you follo

de away to the camp accompanied by one of the natives to hold his horse there. He had no difficulty in finding it, and dismounting, walked to the group of head-quarter tents. His appearance excited a good deal of amusement and some cha

neral at the door of his tent.

The officer walked across and informed the

elf said. "He is evidently a young farmer, and pos

ed to Chris and led h

you wish to give us, si

I hope to be able

position and the na

ounted, sir," he went o

l. At any rate, we shal

ions nor pay. We think

y we have not ado

the general said, "though I hardly think t

we carry these too, so that on our return towards your lines we can be rec

ery detachments warned, that a section of Maritzburg volunteers are dressed as farmers, but m

possession of Newcastle for the past three days, and they are certainly crossing the passes from the Free State. You must be very careful, for they have scouting parties across the river almost as far as the Tugela. However, we hardly expect any serious struggle for another week or ten days; for all the accounts are to the effect that the Boers are still

we shall not have much opportunity of sleeping otherwise than in the open for some time, we thought it as well to begin at once, especially as

for the work, and to set a

n we have often been out for some days, so that we understand

u? that does not loo

or four miles this side of Newcastle six days ago. He fired at us, and though his bu

OFFERS HIS SERVICES

ming down with a party of women and children from Volksrust, had gone to a farmhouse to try and get food, milk, and bread for the females. The Boer farmer insulted them, and shot at one of them when but two or three yards away; he had been tremendously thrashed by the

in just going we went on at once, and reached Maritzburg the next morning, where we were joined by some of our party who had come down the day be

ral said with a smile, "and must h

ell provided with funds to carry us through the campaign if it

morning after the ultimatum expired. Now, sir, if you should at any time be in want of necessaries I shall be gla

h to last us for a considerable time,

alf a dozen pitched battles. I shall be in the town at six o'clock to-morrow

e shall all be very prou

quietly at the picket-rope, and that two of the troop were placed as sentries. A large fire was blazing in front of the tents, the two natives were squatting by it, the kettles were

eard the ne

t heard any pa

s sent off, entering Elandslaagte station, and were in the act of capturing the passenger train that was standing the

police and volunteers, he could never maintain himself here. Why, we heard at Ladysmith that a column had gone out the day before towards Besters station, as the news had come in that they were even then in the neighbourhood. It was a false alarm, but it was enough to show that the Boers were likely to be coming down and cutting the railway in our rear. General Symons told me that he did not expect any general advance of the enemy just yet, because he heard that their transport was incomplete, and that they were very short of provisions. But I don't think the want of transport would prevent their advancing. We know we