Two hundred yards further on three British soldiers came in sight. They were quite unarmed, and walking casually forward into the town. I stopped them and asked what brigade they belonged to. They replied Maxwell's.
'Where is the picket line?'
'We haven't seen no pickets,' said one of them.
'What are you doing?'
'Looking for something to eat. We've had enough of 'arf rations.'
I said, 'You'll get taken prisoners or shot if you go on into the town.'
'Wot's that, guvnor?' said one of them, deeply interested in this extraordinary possibility.
I repeated, and added that the Boers were still riding about the streets.
'Well, then, I ain't for it,' he said with decision. 'Let's go back and try some of them 'ouses near the camp.'
So we all proceeded together.