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teer officers taught them much of military methods. Bu they never had to be taught courage, self-reliance, endurance and obstinacy. Their leaders must have had some realizing sense of the magnitude of the contract they were taking in challenging Great Britain to arms, but beyond a doubt the great mass of the common people both overestimated their own strength and underestimated that of the foe. They were obsessed by the memory of the unfortunate victory of Majuba Hill. Once they had whipped the "rooineks" and they could, consequently do it again whenever they pleased, was their fatuous belief. That England could put ten time their bumbers in the field, had the resources of the world to draw upon for the materiel of war, was able to cut them off from outside aid and would exert all her power not only to conquer them but to requite terribly that memorable defeat, were considerations of which they made little or nothing. Choral singing of hymns and supposably opposite scriptural quotations promising victory, easily dispelled such unpleasant reflections.

Despite the vast odds against them, they certainly have put up an amazingly good fight. Such advantages as they had, thorough knowledge of the country, inurement to exposure, fatigue and pain, exceptional skill as marksmen and the inspiration of devotion to a cause in which they earnestly believed, they made the most of. Though again and again declared conquered, they went on fighting. England congratulated Lord Roberts and felicitated herself that the war was ended—but the Boers fought on. The two republics were, officially, wiped out of existence, but kept their little armies in the field all the same. Gen. DeWet was "bottled up" over and over again, and always broke out and appeared with distressing energy in some new and unexpected place. It has been authoritatively reported that the Boers, haggard and worn by privation, fatigue and wounds, were scattered in small "commandos," short of ammunition and with scant forage for their lean and exhausted horses—but, even yet, the idea that they had been whipped did not seem to have occurred to them.

Buffalo Bill's Wild West, in conformity to its established policy of presenting to its patrons the most interesting people concerned in the making up of current history, has brought from South Africa a detachment of Boer soldiers, led by commandment F. A. Vander Look, that the American people may see for themselves what sort of men have been doing such fighting. Some of them were with Gen. Cronje, "The Lion of the Transvaal," and made their escape when he, with nearly all of his command, after one of the most heroic struggles in history, was captured on the anniversary of "Majuba Hill;" others have only recently served under Gen. DeWest. It is but justice to them to say that only disability for continued service in the field prevents their still being among the irrepressibles harassing Gen. Kitchener, and enables their procurement, during recuperation, by the Wild West. They are typical Boer burghers and appear mounted, armed, and equipped exactly, in every detail, as they were in the field.

(Picture)
A TYPICAL BOER CAMP.