"Mind my dear! I love it. What is it you want to tell me?" She took a folded newspaper from her pocket and handed it to him, saying:
"I came across this in the New York Tribune. Read it!" Colonel Ogilvie turned it over with a rueful look as he said:
"The whole of it!"
"Oh Daddy, don't be tiresome; of course not." Her father's face brightened:
"Then you read what you want me to know. Your eyes are better than mine!" Joy at once began to read:
"From our own Correspondent, Capetown. Some details of the lamentable occurrence at de Hooge's Spruit which was heliographed from the front yesterday have now come to hand. It appears that a battery of field artillery was ordered to proceed from Bloomgroot to Neswick escorted by a Squadron of mixed troops taken from the Scottish Horse and the Mounted Yeoman. When they had begun to cross the river, which here runs so rapidly that great care has to be observed lest the horses should be swept away, a terrific fusillade from an entrenched force of overwhelming numbers was opened on them. Colonel Seawright who commanded ordered a retreat until the disposition of the enemy could be ascertained. But before the manœuvre could be effected the British force was half wiped out. Accurate fire had been concentrated on the artillery horses, and as the guns were all on the river bank ready for the crossing it was impossible to rescue them. Gallant efforts were made by the gunners and the cavalry escort, but in the face of the hail of bullets the only result was a terrible addition to the list of killed and wounded. Seeing that the ground was partly clear, a number of Boers crept out of cover and tried to reach the guns. At this our troops made another gallant effort and the Boers disappeared. Still it was almost hopeless to try to save the guns. One only of the battery was saved and this by as
