Visited a pile of loot taken by some 38th men, and got a lump of
home-made Boer soap, in exchange for some English tobacco. It has a
fatty smell, but makes a beautiful white lather. They had all sorts of
household things, and a wag was wearing a very _piquante_ piece of
female head-gear. In the afternoon I got leave away, and washed in the
muddy pool aforesaid. It seems odd that it can clean one; but it does.
On the way back found a nigger killing a sheep, and bought some fat,
which is indispensable in our cooking; if there is any over, we boil
it and use it as butter. We cooked excellent mealy cakes in it in the
evening. "We don't know where we are" to-day; we had mutton, rice, and
cheese for dinner!

_July 20._--Harnessed up as usual at dawn, and "stood by" all the
morning. The rumour now is that De Wet never went to Lindley at all,
but only a small commando, and that he is at Ficksburg, fifty miles
away on the Basuto border. What an eel of a man!

Clements's brigade arrived to-day from somewhere, and is just visible,
camped a few miles away. The biscuit ration was raised from three to
four and a half to-day. Five is the full number. Rations are good now.
Cooked mutton is served out at night, and also a portion of raw
mutton. Drawing rations is an amusing scene. It is always done in the
dark, and the corporal stands at the pot doling out chunks. It is a
thrilling moment when you investigate by touch the nature of the
greasy, sodden lump put into your hand; it may be all bone, with
frills of gristle on it, or it may be good meat. Complaints are
useless; a ruthless hand sweeps you away, and the _queue_ closes up.
Later on, a sheep's carcass (very thin) is thrown down and hewed up
with a bill-hook. There is great competition for the legs and
shoulders, which are good and tender. If you come off with only ribs,