remaining to ask whether there were any orders for the next day. When he
returned he brought a line from the general. It contained only the
words, "I congratulate you most heartily. The affair must have been
managed excellently, and does you all the greatest credit. Continue
scouting on the same line to-morrow."

The lads were all highly delighted when Chris read this aloud, and then
sat down to a well-earned meal, which was the more enjoyed as it had
been voted that Field, as one of the finance committee, should go into
the town and buy half a dozen of champagne in honour of their first
victory. In the course of the evening one of the general's staff rode
into camp on his way to town, having been requested by him to obtain
full particulars of the fight at Eraser's farm. He took his seat by the
fire with them, and Chris gave him a full account of their proceedings.

"Upon my word, Mr. King," he said, "you managed the matter admirably; no
cavalry leader could have done it better."

"There is no particular credit about the management," Chris said; "we
acted just as we should have done had we been stalking a herd of deer
instead of a party of Boers. One always manages, if possible, to put a
party on the line by which they are likely to take flight, before
crawling up within shot. If we could have taken our horses down with us
before we opened fire we should have done so, and being so well mounted,
I think few of them would have got away; but we could not manage it
without risking being seen, and in that case the Boers, on making out
what our strength was, would certainly have shown fight; and even if we
had beaten them, which I don't suppose we should have done, we should
have suffered heavily."