Work at the coal-mines had been
pushed on feverishly of late, for strangely enough there was no store of
coals either in Dundee itself or at any of the stations down to Durban,
and the authorities had only woke up a few days before to the fact that
coal would be required in large quantities for the transports on the
arrival of the troops. But now all this was to come to a stop. The hands
would be thrown out of employment, and the town would become stagnant
until it was captured by the Boers, or until an army arrived of
sufficient strength to clear Natal of its invaders. That evening many
who possessed vehicles started by road for Ladysmith, feeling that in
another twenty-four hours it might be too late.
At seven o'clock, as had been arranged when they arrived, all the
members of the band met at the bivouac for supper. There was a general
feeling of excitement among them. They had known that hostilities must
soon begin, but to find that the line had already been cut, and that the
enemy were closing in in all directions, came almost as a surprise.
This, however, in no way prevented them from enjoying their meal. After
it was over they held, at Chris's suggestion, a sort of council. He had
already told them what the general had said to him, and that they were
to be inspected in the morning.
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