regiments. The Boers, inappreciative of pluck in that form, kept up a
steady fire on the wounded trooper and his heroic officer until they
were safe out of range.

_November 17._--The 5th Lancers, who, with a company of King's Royal
Rifles, are holding Observation Hill, have hit upon a happy idea for
drawing Boer fire by deputy. They keep a man of straw for that purpose
with khaki coat and helmet. By showing this now and then, they not only
find out exactly where the Boers are, but get occasional chances of
putting in a pot shot with effect. The suggestion probably came from
Devonshire Hill, where Colonel Knox, who commands all divisional troops
on that defensive line, had a dummy battery mounted. This drew fire from
Boer guns at once, and gave Colonel Knox a good suggestion as to the
sort of earthworks best adapted to resist the artillery fire that could
be brought to bear upon them. At three o'clock this afternoon rain began
to fall steadily, and mists crept about the hills, putting a stop to
further bombardment.

_Sunday, November 19._--Just after midnight Boer guns again fired from
every position round Ladysmith. What this may mean nobody knows. Perhaps
it is a device for keeping Boer sentries on the alert, or there may have
been a false alarm causing the enemy's batteries to boom off a shot each
by way of signal, or probably the guns, fired at certain intervals, were
sending on a code message to Colenso. Rumours, having their origin in
the fertile imaginations of those who think that British troops can
achieve wonderful things for our relief, crowd fast upon us. Now we hear
of a column marching into Bloemfontein and an hour later men tell
gravely of a force under General French having captured Dundee But by
some means ill news travels faster even than these absurdly impossible
rumours. A Boer doctor has been to Intombi Camp this morning and told