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Description: He did not seem to have the slightest idea of it. I was very amused. I could hardly believe it, we did a good bit of laughing after he had gone. Have you had the photos done yet of those we took of you and me at Egdon. I should so like to have some. I think the ones of you on the Camel are awfully good. It must have been rather dull at Hereford I should think after Egdon, but it was just as well to go for a bit. Thanks so much for the lashes and the Hound book, it was very interesting seeing it. There are still several couple of hounds that I knew.

Description: My darling little Gin, I was so pleased to hear you had such a good day’s cubbing to finish up with. You must have had it all to yourselves. I am sorry Fred did not let you keep that brush, it would have been something to have anyway. I don’t suppose all the hair would have come out of it. I think you did quite right with your tips, it was just as well to give Tom a good one as it is important your saddle should be looked after well and I think 2/6 was enough for the boy as he did not have anything to do.

Description: I am more pleased than I can say with my darling little Gin. I think it is splendid your being able to do everything yourself like that. I do hope we shall have a lovely time hunting together before long. The Gin shot 2 archibolds very well too. I wish we had been able to pick up [??] this one at Hawkhurst. If only you could have a light gun, you would very soon be able to shoot partridges. Have as much practice at archibolds as you can though. It is very [a] very good way of beginning.

Description: My darling little Gin, I am so glad you got your day’s cubbing all right on Thursday. I hope it was a good one. Let me know all about it when you write. I do wish I could have had another day. We had a most exciting crossing over the Channel. No lights of any description. We were all supposed to put on life belts before we started and remain in them, but we did not do it. We went over very quietly and lots of boats hooted at us quietly as we went along.

Description: I was rather amused at Frank saying the camel used to buck a lot. I expect he did. I believe he can now when he feels inclined. This is a very hard pencil. I hope you will be able to read this, it is rather faint, little Gin, but perhaps you can manage. You remember the story I told you of burning chairs. The [Sami?] came to see us yesterday. He said he had got a gymkhana on today for the children & it was rather amusing as there was a good deal of things going on.

Description: I suppose it was some kind of signal as we had no lights. However we got in quite safe. The next night Boulogne Harbour was full of mines and the boat could not go, so they all got an extra day’s leave. George Colville was one of them. I have got the [??] all right. Thanks so much darling little Gin for thinking of it & not forgetting all about it in the excitement of cubbing. I was so pleased to get the Hound back too. I have got it on the table in my dug out.

Description: Will you thank the Hewitts very much for me. Look at this letter through the light, hold it up. I have written to Mrs. [Mr.??] Hunter about the dog I hope I shall get him all right. I am going to get one of the officers to get him back when he goes on leave. I should love to have a day here. Layton grows fatter and fatter & I think his brain grows smaller in proportion, he is really almost beyond hope as a servant. He eats very well though. Molsh sent me Soapy [??]. I am very glad to get it and read parts of it out loud last night. We laughed for ages, it was most amusing. Now my darling little Gin I must stop. Give me more advice if you like about the horse fund. I love you darling and like to get your advice. I wish we were hunting together again. Lots & heaps of love darling little Cracknut from you ever loving little Jack.

Description: I am so glad they gave you the brush and you had a real good gallop. Been doing a lot of rat[??] hunting. Hoping to have [??] out here soon. I hope she will be some good. Vilge [??] has got a splendid nose for [??]ing up to a rat & very seldom makes a mistake, and he kills them very well if he draws them out, but is still rather a fool with them in the open. It is getting very late. I think I had better stop this & finish it tomorrow, especially as it can’t possibly go tonight.

Description: It would have been safe there anyway. I was so anxious to make a little more so I put it into the risky thing. I don’t think I will try that any more, darling little Gin. I think you would be a great help to this Jack. You are so sensible and I love you for it. I am so delighted today. I forget whether I told you or not I was to get the 2 blood horses for a German shovel (earth cutting tool). I have found one today going round the trenches so I am going to send it off.

Description: I hope the horses will be good ones. I am afraid a week at the end of this month is hopeless. Hereford would certainly be rather an awkward place to hunt from. However let us hope for Xmas, it is not so far off and I do hope you can have another good time then. I am so sorry to disappoint you, little Gin but it cannot be helped, I am afraid. Thank you so much for the pears. They have been out in the sun some time but they are not quite ready yet.

Description: My darling little Gin, I am sending you [a] cheque for £3.00. £1 is for you as you may be in want of a little money going back to Rugby & send the other £2 to the [??] N.H.H. as you have had six days with them. You can get 2 postal orders & send it from yourself. I think Ted Hygate is [??]. Absolutely delighted to hear of your good day at [??] and getting a bit of fox. I saw an [??] of it in the Hereford Times.

Description: I wish you had been able to have a day with Daisy Fuller. It would have been great fun. I thought they all hunted hard. It is an awful nuisance I have got to go out to dinner with one of the [??] of the Regiment. I hate leaving my dug out where it is comfortable to go & dine in someone elses. Vilge is getting very cross these days, he barks at everyone who passes my dug out & tries to bite the Belgian civilians.

Description: My darling little Gin, I was so delighted to get another letter from you today. I do so love you and your letters, darling little Cracknut. I think I might be able to save something out of the horse fund after all. I hope it won’t be quite as bad as I said. I will write about it again today. It looks as if I might be able to get a bit of it back again. I do wish I had put it in the War Loan as you say.

Description: My darling little Gin, Delighted to get two letters from you this morning. I am so sorry darling little cracknut at telling you too soon. But this poor Jack first anxious to get with Gin again. It is very good of Mrs Hewitt to bring you up to town. I hope I will get away next week all right. Simply longing to see you again.

Description: Don’t forget to write directly you get mine – Don't forget the address. Junior army and navy club Whitehall. Can’t write any more darling little Gin. Just as excited as you. Lots and heaps of love from Your ever loving little Jack

Description: I don’t know how they missed me & tried to get to another company, & I fell into a lot more Boers, they were swarming everywhere & then I found 4 more riding close behind me, and they got me all round then. Gretton [?] my adjutant I had sent on a message & he got caught the same way. We neither of us had a revolver on us. I suppose he will blame me, but it will be rather rough if he does. If only they had got the intelligence telegram a bit sooner it would never have happened. The men who were not surprised fought beautifully, but I lost 5 officers which is sickening – Brindley (Manchester Rgt.) was splendid. He, his subaltern & Co. Sgt. Major & 25 men fixed bayonets and tried to charge. The first 3 were killed or died that night & [?] of his men – chiefly Lancashire Fusiliers. I should like to write & tell Brindley’s people but I don’t know their address. I wonder if you could find out & tell them. He would have deserved anything if he had lived. I am thoroughly sick of this war. I do so wish I could get away for a bit. The Boers that I saw were all well clothed & looked well fed and well mounted. We are halting here a day or t wo and have got Xmas sports on this afternoon. This is my 3rd Xmas out here now. Young Sidney Hamilton is going home with enteric. He was awfully ill when I went up to Pretoria some time ago. I had no idea he was bad, but he will get home now & is much better & wants me to go & see him off. I hope I shall be able to. I will stop now. Give my love to them all. Your affectionate son. The tent arrived the day before the catastrophy, [sic], it is splendid. We all had our Xmas dinner in it last night. I had my new knife on me when I was caught. They took it and my boots & coat. My feet are so sore at present. I can hardly walk but am getting much better. It is rather like Gough’s?? disaster last October but I am thankful to say I had no guns to lose. The guns that were lost then belonged to the Battery I was attached to at Limerick 10 years ago now when I first saw Mary. The only consolation I have is the 14th did most awfully well after the first surprise & everybody tells me so.

Description: There is Atlay here too, a trouper is one of the Ideal [??] Corps they have raised. He came up & spoke to me during the battle last Monday. I asked him to come & have dinner with us last night, the 5th Nov.[??], which consisted of bread & cheese & 4 bottles of beer I had got. I can’t get any more now. He met Roland in S. America. We had a great buck last night, he and Crichton and I. He is that chap that used to be such a fool and walk about in a corduroy suit. He is a very different fellow now, rather nice. We were congratulating ourselves on meeting again, for his corps and my M.I. had had a very hot time the day before. We were rear [?] guard and they did let us have it. Our Brigadier is a very nice chap. Hamilton is his name. He has got an A.D.C., Lord Ava, a son of Lord Dufferin. He must be a second cousin of Mary’s, I suppose. I think Roland ought to come out here. If we have any luck, there ought to be some very good things going if we ever get to Pretoria. He could get into one of these local corps too. I think it would be well worth doing for a fellow that has lurched about a bit like he has. I have given you the military news. I will stop now to write to mother. I don’t know when this will go as the line at present is in charge pf the Boers. I hope better things will have happened before you get it. I hope you have had good shooting. I have got my gun with me, but have not been able to use it yet. Love to all. Many thanks for looking after Mary so well. She was evidently very fond of the County & said she had been very well taken care of. Your affect[ionate] son ...

Description: My dear Father, I wonder if you have heard of my disaster yet. I suppose you will have. I hope you won’t think me an awful fool for being taken prisoner but it could not be helped. They sent me out in the middle of the night with only 200 men to round up a few Boers living in farms and in the banks of the Vaal about 16 miles away from camp. After I had gone, a telegram came from the Intelligence to say there were a lot of Boers there. Anyway, we had had a long gallop directly after it got light after 2 lots of Boers who [??] as hard as they could go. I saw my right party in a good place after their gallop & then went off to collect my left party to get them altogether. When I got back I heard some firing & went down to see what it was, & when I got to within about 50 yards, a man in khaki fired at me which I thought was rather peculiar, and some of the men shouted to me. I grasped then that my people had been surprised & taken prisoners by Boers in khaki. I did not want to be captured, so I galloped for it.

Description: I was so delighted to get Mary[??] Romford/Rumford[??] from Molch the other day. I read it two or three nights, but now Tom Grenville has got it and reading it loud. Give my love to all the Hewitts. Will Dorothy be there when you get back I wonder. I hope she will,, it will be more fun for you. I hope you will get this soon after you get back. I have finished this letter after all. It has beeb rather funny. I have had another General staying with me to see how to do things. He is years older than me & very fat. I took him up [the] trenches this morning & I thought he would burst. I thought I would never get him back again. Now my darling little Cracknut, I must stop. Lots & heaps of love darling little Gin from your ever loving little Jack. This Jack very proud of its Gin. Taught it to hunt very well.

Description: Their guns are better than ours, & they put shells all over the place from 4 or 5 miles away. If it had not been for the Navy with 2 or 3 big guns, which they just got up in time before the line was cut, I don’t know what would have happened to us. We were to have been bombarded yesterday & today but they have been very quiet, we don’t know why. I heard this morning, I don’t know if it is true or not, that we have now got a strong force at Estcourt about 40 miles away down the line. I hope it is true & that part of the Army Corps is likely to arrive in Durban the end of this week. I am quite separate from the Regiment at present with my M. I. [??] & 2 very good Subalterns & we are fairly comfortable.