CHAPTER VIII.
TRAGEDY AND COMEDY _Sunday, November 5, 1899._ The armistice lasted all day, except that the enemy threw two shells at a waggon going up the Helpmakaar road and knocked it to pieces, and, I hear, killed a man or two--I don't know why.

The townspeople were very busy building shelters for the bombardment.

The ends of bridges and culverts were closed up with sandbags and stones.

Circular forts were piled in the safest places among the rocks.

The Army Service Corps constructed a magnificent work with mealy-bags and corn-beef cases--a perfect palace of security.