At seven o'clock, as had been arranged when they arrived, all the
members of the band met at the bivouac for supper. There was a general
feeling of excitement among them. They had known that hostilities must
soon begin, but to find that the line had already been cut, and that the
enemy were closing in in all directions, came almost as a surprise.
This, however, in no way prevented them from enjoying their meal. After
it was over they held, at Chris's suggestion, a sort of council. He had
already told them what the general had said to him, and that they were
to be inspected in the morning. As their saddlery was all new, there was
nothing to be done in the way of burnishing buckles and rubbing up
leather. As Chris remarked, all that would be necessary was an hour's
work in the morning grooming their horses.

"Now," he said, "that the work is going to begin, we must draw up a few
rules, for, volunteers though we are, we must have some regulations. In
the first place, I find that the troops all parade in order of battle
before daybreak, so as to be able to repel a sudden attack or move in
any direction that may be required. If it is necessary for them, it is
still more necessary for us, and I think that it should be a standing
rule that we are all ready to mount at daybreak. Sentries must be posted
at night, however safe we may feel. I think there should be two,
relieved every two hours. There will he no hardship in that, as each
would only go on duty every other night. In the next place, I think
there should be what they call an officer of the day, who would
generally be in charge of the arrangements, see that the Kaffirs
attended to their horses properly, and so on. You see, we shall not be
always acting together, but might sometimes be broken into four troops,
in which case one in each five should command. I think the same lot
should always keep together. What do you think? Would it be better that