appeared lying again on the hillside, one guessed that the individual
now on his way would prove a warmish customer. It burst with a most
almighty crack, and I involuntarily bent down my head over my horse's
neck. "Right over your head," shouted the next man, in answer to my
question as to where it burst.

If you are at all interested in "projectiles," you may care to hear that
shrapnel is most effective when it bursts over, but a little short of,
the object aimed at; the bullets, released by the bursting charge,
continuing the line of flight of the shell, which is a downward slant.
There is a rather anxious interval, of about ten or fifteen seconds
generally after you see the smoke of the gun, and before anything else
happens. Then comes the hollow boom of the report, and almost
immediately afterwards the noise of the shell, growing rapidly from a
whimper to a loud scream, with a sudden note of recognition at the end,
as if it had caught sight of and were pouncing on you. It is a curious
fact, however, that, in spite of the noise they make, you cannot in the
least distinguish in which direction they are coming. You find yourself
looking vaguely round, wondering where this yelling devil is going to
ground, but till you see the great spurt of earth you have no idea where
it will be. We came back across the plain, having more or less located
the position and the guns. Rimington with one squadron got into a tight
place among some kopjes on our right. The rifle fire was very hot, and
at close range. The Major took up his orderly, whose horse was shot, on
his own pony, and brought him off. For a moment the squadron came under
cover of a hill, but they had to run the gauntlet of the Boer fire to
get away. Rimington laughingly asked for a start as his pony was
carrying double, and rode first out into the storm of bullets. Several
men and horses were hit, but no men killed, and they were lucky in
getting off as cheap as they did. We then drew back to a cattle kraal on