第23部分(第2/7 頁)

　with　the　rest　of　the　corps　I　was　stationed　at　the　Government　mule　stables；　not　far　from　the　nek　through　which　I　believe　the　Natal　railway　now　runs。

A　few　nights　later　things　grew　more　serious。　Our　pickets　and　scouts；　to　say　nothing　of　natives；　announced　that　the　Boer　laager；　which；　by　the　way；　was　now　pitched　much　nearer　to　the　town　and　practically　besieging　it；　had　broken　up；　and　that　the　Boers　to　the　number　of　several　thousand　were　marching　on　Pretoria。　So　indeed　I　believe　they　were；　but　something；　probably　the　news　that　we　were　more　or　less　prepared　to　receive　them；　caused　them　to　change　their　minds　at　the　last　moment；　with　the　result　that　the　attack　was　never　actually　delivered。　Of　this；　however；　we　knew　nothing　in　our　mule…stable。　All　we　knew　was　that　at　any　given　moment　we　must　expect　to　bear　the　first　brunt　of　the　onslaught　of　several　thousand　men；　which　would　first　impinge　upon　our　position。　For　some　reason　which　I　cannot　recollect；　my　manding　officer；　Captain　Jackson；　was　away　that　night；　I　think　that　he　had　been　sent　on　a　mission　by　the　Government　and　taken　the　other　lieutenant　with　him；　leaving　me　in　mand　of　the　corps。

Well；　I　did　my　best。　A　few　candles　were　all　that　I　allowed；　set　at　intervals　on　the　floor　of　the　long　building；　that　they　might　not　shine　through　the　loopholes　and　draw　the　enemy’s　fire。　I　posted　my　best　shots；　Cochrane　among　them；　upon　the　upper　platform；　and　the　rest　at　the　loopholes　we　had　prepared　upon　the　ground　floor　and　upon　the　little　external　bastions。　Our　extemporised　pikes　were　also　laid　handy　for　immediate　use。

Till　dawn　we　waited　thus；　growing　rather　weary　at　the　last；　indeed　I　never　remember　a　longer　night。　Then　came　the　news　that　the　Boers　had　drawn　off；　leaving　Pretoria　unmolested；　after　which　we　went　to　be