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the tug and fractured every one in the basket except Sangree and Rogers； the two New York correspondents who were hanging on by the upper edges。 Cecil loved the place which is the Midway Plaisance of cities and we had a good lunch and managed to get into the hotel where there are over twenty cots in the reading room； and hall。 The Commandant objected to our going to Praetoria and seemed inclined to refuse us passes to leave Durban for Delagoa Bay。 He also was rather fresh to Cecil； so I called him down very hard； and told him if he couldn't make up his mind whether we would go or not； I'd wire to some others who would help him to make up his mind quickly。 He said I was at liberty to do that； so I went out and burned wires over all of South Africa。 As he reads all the telegrams he naturally read mine and the next morning he was as humble and white as a head waiter。 But by ten o'clock my wires began to bear fruit and he began to catch it。 Milner wired him to send us on at once and apologized to us by another wire so all is well and we go vouched for by the High Commissioner。
DICK。
PRETORIA； May 18th； 1900。
DEAR DADAND OTHERS OF THE CLARK AND DAVIS FAMILIES：
I have not had time to write such a long letter as this one must be； as I have been working on my Ledger and Scribner stories。
Cecil and I started to the 〃front；〃 which was then May 4th； at Brandfort with Captain Von Loosberg； a German baron who married in New Orleans and became an American citizen and who is now in command of Loosberg's Artillery in the Free State。 The night we left； the English took Brandfort； so we decided to go only as far as Winburg。 The next morning the train despatcher informed us Winburg was taken； so we decided to go to Smalldeel； but that went during the afternoon； so we stopped at Kronstad。 From there； after a day's rest； we went to Ventersberg station； and rode across to Ventersberg town； about two hours away； and put up in Jones's Hotel。 The next day we went down to the Boer laagers on the Sand river and met President Steyn on the way。 He got out of his Cape Cart and gave Cecil a rose and Loosberg his field glasses； which Cecil took from Loosberg in exchange for her own Zeiss glass； and he gave me a drink and an interview。 He also gave us a letter to St。 Reid； who had established an ambulance base on Cronje's farm； telling him to give Cecil something to sleep upon。 The； Boers were very polite to Cecil and as she rode through the different camps every man took off his hat。 We went back to Ventersberg that night and about two o'clock Cecil came to my room and woke me up with the intelligence that the British were only two hours away。 She had heard the commandant informing the landlady； a grand low comedy character from Brooklyn； who had the room next to Cecil's。 I interviewed the landlady who was sitting up in bed in curl papers； and with a Webley revolver。 She was quite hysterical so I aroused Loosberg who was too sleepy to understand。 The commandant could be heard in the distance offering his kingdom for a horse and a Cape cart。 Cecil and I decided our horses were done up and that we were too ignorant of the trail to know where to run。 So we decided to go to sleep。 In the morning we confessed that each had been afraid the other would want to escape； and each wanted only to be allowed to go to sleep again。 Loosberg's Cape Cart and five mules having arrived we packed our things on it and started again for the Sand River where we spent the night on Cronje's farm。 Mrs。 Cronje had taken away all the bedding but Dr。 Reid gave Cecil his field mattress and I made one out of rugs and piano covers。 In the morning I found that the iron straps of the mattress had marked me for life like a grilled beefsteak。 There were only Reid and his assistant surgeon in the farmhouse and they were greatly excited at having a woman to look after。
We bade farewell to Loosberg who had found his artillery push； and started off in his Cape Cart which he wished us to use and take back for him for safety to Del Hay at Pretoria。 Our objective point was the railroad bridge over the sand。 The Boers were on one bank； the British about seven miles back on the other； the trail ran along the British side of the river which was sad of it。 However； we drove on； I riding and Cecil and Christian； the Kaffir； in the Cart。 We saw no one for several hours except some Kaffir Kraals and we almost ran into two herds of deer。 I counted twenty…six in one herd； they were about a quarter of a mile away。 We came to a cross road and I decided to put back as we had lost track of the river and were bearing straight into the English lines。 Just as we found the river again and had got across a drift cannon opened on our right。 We then knew we were in between the Boers and the English but we had no other knowledge of our geographical position。 Such being the case we decided to outspan and lunch。 Out…spanning is setting the mules and horses at liberty； in…spanning trying to catch them again。 It takes five minutes to out…span； and three hours to in…span。 We had Armour's corned beef and Libby's canned bacon。 Cecil cooked the bacon on a stick and we ate it with biscuits captured by our Boer friends at Cronje's farm from the English Tommies。 About three o'clock we started off again； and were captured by three Boers。 I was riding behind the cart and threw up my hands 〃that quick；〃 but Cecil could not hear me yelling at her to stop on account of the noise of the cart。 I knew if I rode after her they would shoot at me； and that if she didn't stop； as they were shouting at her to do； they would shoot her。 Under these trying circumstances I sat still。 It caused quite a coolness on Cecil's part。 However the Boers could see I was trying to get her to halt so they only rode around and headed her off。 We were so glad to see them that they could not be suspicious。 Still； as we had come directly from the English lines they had doubts。 We told them we had lost ourselves and the more they threatened to take us to the commandant the more satisfied we were。 I insisted on taking photos of them reading Cecil's passport。 It annoyed them that we refused to be serious； we assured them we had never met anyone we were so glad to see。 They finally believed us； and our passports which describe Cecil as my 〃frau；〃 and artist of Harper's Weekly； an idea of Loosberg's。 We all smoked and then shook hands and they went back to their positions。 We next met Christian De Vet one of the two big generals who is a grand character。 Nothing could match the wonderful picturesqueness of his camp spread out over the side of a hill with the bearded fine featured old Van Dyck and Hugonot heads under great sombreros。 De Vet made us a long speech saying it was only to be expected that the Great Republic would send men to help the little Republics； but he had not hoped that the women would show their sympathy by coming too。 All this with the most simple earnest courtesy。 He said 〃No English woman would dare do what you are doing。〃 He showed us a farin house on a kopje about five miles off where he said we could get shelter and where we would be near the fighting on the morrow。 We