Some of these latter had
family ties besides their considerable positions, but they gladly
hastened to place their valuable services at the disposal of their
Queen, and, in conjunction with the regular Royal Engineers, were
destined to find glory, and in many cases death, at their perilous work.
The task of the engineers is probably scarcely realized by people who
have not seen actual warfare. We do not read so frequently of their
doings as of those of their gallant colleagues on foot or on horse; but
soldiers know that neither the genius of the Generals nor the
intrepidity of the men could avail without them; and as the scouts are
called the eyes, so might the engineers, both regular and volunteer, be
termed the hands and feet, of an advancing force. The host sweeps on,
and the workers are left with pickaxe and shovel, rifles close at hand,
to work at their laborious task loyally and patiently, while deeds of
courage and daring are being done and applauded not many miles away from
them. This particular Rhenoster bridge was destroyed and rebuilt no less
than three times up to the date of which I write, and the third time was
only ten days previously, when Christian De Wet had also worked havoc
among the mail-bags, the only cruel thing attributed to that commander,
respected both by friends and foes.
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