I could see three of the little Dutch camps, and here and there bodies of Boers moving over the country.

Suddenly in the midst of the plain, just our side of the camp near "Wesse's Plantation," a great cloud of smoke and dust arose, and slowly drifted away.

Beyond doubt, it was the bursting of a British shell.

Aimed at the camp it overshot the mark, and landed on the empty plain.

As a messenger of hope to us all it was not lost.
The distance was only fourteen miles from where I stood--a morning's walk--less than an hour and a half's ride.