inch of this is such that the fourteen days' provision amounts to but
little in bulk. It is said that if a Boer has a rifle, ammunition, and
a piece of biltong in his pocket, he will fight till further orders.

It is surprising how quickly the burgher forces can be levied. This
was made very apparent when Dr. Jameson marched into the country on
December 29, 1895. It is also well known that news travels quickly,
even in the outlying districts, and in this respect the Boers appear
to be quite as remarkable as the Kaffirs.

All this military discipline might seem to be only good in itself,
were it not for the fact that the Boers still retain their reputation
for being good shots. Even the young men are not behind their fathers
in the masterly manipulation of their rifles; in fact, while a large
number of Englishmen are reputed to be born with silver spoons in
their mouths, the birth-right of every Boer is undoubtedly the rifle.

Both in the Transvaal and Free State there exists a healthy spirit of
rivalry between Englishman and Boer in the shooting line. Competitions
are very frequently arranged; it is to the credit of the colonial
Englishman that he can give a good account of himself, and at the same
time hold his own against any Boer. This is fortunate, because the
Boer always respects a man who can record as many bull's-eyes as
himself, no matter what his nationality may be. The great opportunity
the Boer had of giving vent to his contempt for the English was when
the latter appeared on the battlefield in compact regiments, and
afforded the best possible target for shooting at from behind the now
proverbial stone.

In these times of universal political difficulties it may be