It is painful to think that Lord Roberts is totally unaware that he is fighting for a country that has ceased to exist, that St. Paul's is now a Greek Chapel, that the Thames is called the Temsky River, that our beloved Queen is a prisoner at Moscow, and that Lord Salisbury is already trudging on the weary snow-bound way to the mines at Kara, in Siberia.
Why do you laugh?
To us it seems awful!
CAUGHT BY THE BOERS.
After three weeks spent in "bluffing" the Colesberg Boers, by holding various kopjes with a half company at the bottom, I found myself one fine February morning seized with a sudden attack of "Mauseritis," and so forced to watch the rest of a disastrous rear-guard action without taking part in it.
My company and one other, having spent a very cold night on a kopje N.W. of Rensburg, came down at 5 a.m. to find our other companies "not lost but gone before" to Arundel, and a sudden and unexpected Boer cross-fire brought on the aforesaid "attack." From 6 to 8 I lay watching little puffs of dust in the immediate vicinity, caused by our men returning the fire, as a lot of the Boers had followed us up and were lying down about 300 yards from me.
At 8 our fire stopped, and up galloped batches of the ragged ruffians, the first two pointing Mausers at me and asking, "Rooinek wounded?" My answer, "Yes," seemed to relieve them, and they jumped off their horses, and quickly relieving me of carbine and belt (the only things they took) galloped on. At intervals of ten minutes all sorts and conditions followed them with, "Good morning, old chap," and they seemed very sorry at seeing me wounded. At 10, four of them, under the guidance of a commandant, carried me in a bit of sacking a mile to Rensburg Station, to the "Station Commandant's" Room, and I spent a happy day till 5 p.m. with 11 of our men, all air prevented from coming in by our inquisitive friends, the enemy, who "held" both doors and windows with great success, making the place a regular Black Hole.
They seemed quite happy, just standing still, staring at us, and never uttering a syllable, though they would do anything we asked. At last, after hours of waiting, they moved us to a coachhouse close by and "dressed" us. We stayed there till 5 the next day, and had many interesting talks with them. One old man gave us a blessing, with "I wish Chamberlain was here to see you now." Their sole idea was that Jos. C. and Rhodes were entirely responsible for the war. Many such questions as "Were you compelled to fight?" &c., were asked you, and a small box of "sparklets" cartridges was a source of much wonder. My next move was to an empty store in Colesberg, where Hofman (of the Cape Parliament) had a Russian-German and Dutch Ambulance combined (one of his men had been fighting against us and now, covered with Red Crosses, helped to carry us about). I stayed there a week, having devoured more figs and grapes than ever before.
All the English ladies and the Dutch Minister in particular brought us fruit, and I should like to thank them personally. Only the Dutch people were allowed in to see us, and were very keen on getting our buttons and badges as keep-sakes.