78 Pages - The Black Vault

tamba, the flat-topped mountain some two miles tothe north was called Regret Table Mountain, and thegently rising hill close to the drift on the south of theriver they called Waschout Hill. Everything was goingon well, and the men were at their teas when I gotback. The nice Dutchman with his apostolic face andthe lanky Piet and Gert were already there, surroundedby a swarm of men, to whom they were sellingtheir wares at exorbitant rates. The three of themstrolled about the camp, showing great interest ineverything, asking most intelligent questions aboutthe British forces and the general position of affairsand seemed really relieved to have a strong f3ritist\post near. They did not even take of fence when someof the rougher man called them “blarslecj Dulchmen,” and refused to converse with them, or buytheir’’skoff.’’ About dusk they left, with many promisesto return with a fresh supply on the morrow.After writing out my orders for next day---one ofwhich was fordigging some trenches round tt]e camp.an operation which I knew my men, as becomesgood British soldiers, disliked very much, and regardedas fatigues —1 saw the two guards mounted,one at the drift, and the other some little way dowr]the river, each furnishing one sentry on Ihe riverbank.When all had turned in, and the camp was quitesilent, it was almost comforting to hear the half-hourlycry of the sentries. “Number one—all is well’; N[lm -ber two-all is well!” By this sound I was able to locatethem, and knew they were at their proper post:.On going round sentries about midnight, I waspleased to find that they were both alert, and th~;as it was a cold night, each guard had built a bon fir[15