Lord William found he was the only staff officer with Sir Redvers, so his hands were soon full. The force of 8000 under his chief were a strange but interesting crowd, made up largely of gentlemen not wanted elsewhere, runaway sailors, Australians, Canadians, and some of the undescribables from South African towns, in fact a cosmopolitan crowd who had volunteered for the period of the campaign for the sum of 5s. a day as pay. What made Lord William’s work the more difficult was that there were several sub-commands which had originally been forces of their own, all of whom he had to keep up to the mark, work together, make efficient, and content. Every detail had to be arranged by him; also the daily parades had to be inspected. It was no sinecure being right-hand man to Sir Redvers, for he was a firm, silent martinet, ruling all under him with a rod of iron, and he considered it Lord William’s place to wheel this heterogeneous crowd into line and order. Lord William was, in some degree, of the same way of thinking as his Chief. Both were born fighters, both, at any rate in theory, strict disciplinarians, but Lord William had the happy knack of always drawing the best out of people; his Irish wit, combined with his cheerfulness, was irresistible; even the most cantankerous, the worst funkers, the most lawless succumbed, and became his willing slaves. June 1st saw Lord Chelmsford’s Army in the Valley of the Umvaloosi, where across the silvery winding river could be seen the Kraal of the Ulundi King, with all its minor attachments surrounding it. Two or three days only had been allowed in which the Zulu Chief had to decide whether he would do as we bid him or not. While the gentleman was making up his mind it was considered wise to find out what sort of ground was in front of our force, over which it was expected we should advance. The orders were that Sir Redvers was to make a reconnaissance across the river without aggravating Cetewayo unduly, before his days of meditation were concluded. At the appointed hour Lord William and his Chief were to be seen in front of Sir Evelyn Wood’s tent, waiting for the rest of the contingent, made up of all sorts and odds and ends. Sir Redvers led the way, followed by the rest of the horsemen, Lord William bringing up the rear, to see all was complete. He then galloped forward to join and lead the Scouts, little thinking what stern adventure was awaiting him. General Buller followed with the rest of his party.