came the splendid batteries of the Royal Horse Artillery trotting into action, all the gunners bronzed and bearded.  They were followed by the Canadian Artillery, who had joined Colonel Plumer’s force, and who were that day horsed with mules out of the Bulawayo coach.  These were galloping, and, considering the distance all had come, both horses and mules looked wonderfully fit and well.  Most of the former, with the appearance of short-tailed English hunters, were stepping gaily out.  The Imperial Light Horse and the Diamond Fields Horse, the latter distinguished by feathers in their felt hats, brought up the procession.  Everybody cheered, and not a few were deeply affected.  Personally, ever since, when I see galloping artillery, that momentous morning is brought back to my mind, and I feel a choking sensation in my throat.

About a quarter of a mile from town the guns unlimbered, and we could not help feeling satisfaction at watching the shells exploding in the laager—­that laager we had watched for so many months, and had never been able to touch.  The Boers had evidently never expected the column to be in the town, or they would have cleared off.  We had a last glimpse of the tarpaulined waggons, and then the dust hid further developments from sight.  After about thirty minutes the artillery ceased firing, and as the atmosphere cleared we saw the laager was a desert.  Waggons, horses, and cattle, all had vanished.

After their exertions of the past fortnight, Colonel Mahon did not consider it wise to pursue the retreating Boers; but later in the afternoon I went out with others in a cart to where the laager had been—­the first time since December that I had driven beyond our lines.  I had the new experience of seeing a “loot” in progress.  First we met two soldiers driving a cow; then some more with bulged-out pockets full of live fowls; natives were staggering under huge loads of food-stuffs, and eating even as they walked.  I was also interested in going into the very room where General Snyman had treated me so scurvily, and where everything was in terrible confusion:  the floor was littered with rifles, ammunition, food-stuffs of all sorts, clothes, and letters.  Among the latter some interesting telegrams were found, including one from the President, of a date three days previously, informing Snyman that things were most critical, and that the enemy had occupied Kroonstadt.  We were just going on to the hospital, where I had spent those weary days of imprisonment, when an officer galloped up and begged me to return to Mafeking, as some skirmishing was going to commence.  It turned out that 500 Boers had stopped just over the ridge to cover their retreating waggons, but they made no stand, and by evening were miles away.