Those who are willing to do so must volunteer. Of course we only
combined for the purpose of acting as scouts, and no one ever
contemplated doing more. So far, we have, as all allow, carried out that
object well; and I have no doubt that those who do not care to join in
what is a sort of forlorn hope, will continue to do well after we have
started on it, and of course I shall, if I get back, rejoin them. My
scheme would, no doubt, be considered a very wild one, but I can see no
reason why, with good luck, it should not succeed. Indeed, I believe
that it will succeed, if, when we arrive there, we do not find that the
Boers are guarding the bridge. Of course, if they do so there is but
little hope of carrying the matter out. They will know the importance of
the bridge to them, and how greatly its destruction would be desired by
the British Government, and may think it possible that such an attempt
as I propose would be made, and take precautions to prevent its success.
"I do not mean to throw away my life. If, when I get there, I find that
it is next to impossible to carry the matter out, I shall give it up;
but even then the information I should get about matters up there, both
as to the Boers and the Swazis, would be of use.
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