given to Colonel Scott-Turner, and it was composed of the best riders
and keenest shots that could be found. Plenty of these were fortunately
available and they greatly distinguished themselves.

No one thought of surrender, and when the length of the siege drew into
weeks and from weeks into months, and food ran short and water was cut
off, they still kept cheerful. They knew they were practically safe from
assault. Surrounding the town is a belt of level country some six miles
wide, and they felt certain the Boers dare not cross this belt and face
the fire that would be poured into them from the huge cinder heaps which
had been transformed into forts.

By-and-by the number of shells dropped into the town increased rapidly.
New and more powerful guns were brought to bear upon it, and no man's
life was safe. They did their best to reply, and actually, under the
direction of Mr. George Abrams (chief engineer of De Beers), they
manufactured a 30-pounder gun called 'Long Cecil,' which proved
effective at a range of 10,000 yards. Unfortunately, Mr. Abrams was
himself killed by a shell not long after he had completed this great
work.

From time to time sorties were carried out, and in the boldest of them
all, when the Kimberley men got so near that they could look down their
enemy's guns, Colonel Scott-Turner was killed.


=Perils of the Siege.=

But notwithstanding all they could do the enemy's attack grew fiercer.
It is estimated that between three and four thousand shells fell in