XXVII. WHEN THE AFRIDIS WERE UP 229 XXVIII. SOUTH AFRICA.--THE V.C.’S OF THE SECOND BOER WAR 239 XXIX. SOMALILAND--NIGERIA--TIBET 253 APPENDICES 263-294 APPENDIX A. ROYAL WARRANTS 263 ” B. THE FIRST PRESENTATION OF THE V.C. 269 ” C. WARS AND CAMPAIGNS IN WHICH THE V.C. HAS BEEN WON, FROM 1854 TO 1904 272 ” D. COMPLETE ALPHABETICAL LIST OF RECIPIENTS OF THE V.C. 274 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE HOW LORD ROBERTS WON THE V.C. _Frontispiece_ THE VICTORIA CROSS 3 THE FIRST PRESENTATION OF THE V.C., IN HYDE PARK, JUNE 26, 1857 5 “I GOT HIM TO STAND AT THE HORSE’S HEAD WHILST I LIFTED THE CAPTAIN OFF” 22 THE ESCORT CAME SWINGING UP THE ROAD WITHOUT A SUSPICION OF DANGER 53 McMANUS NOW RUSHED OUT, ACCOMPANIED BY PRIVATE JOHN RYAN … AND CARRIED IN CAPTAIN ARNOLD 98 REINING IN HIS HORSE, HE TURNED TO CATCH VOSPER’S … AND HELPED THE ORDERLY TO REMOUNT 137 WITH THE FLAG … FIRMLY GRIPPED IN HIS HAND, MELVILL SPURRED HIS HORSE FOR THE RIVER 173 GRAVE OF MELVILL AND COGHILL 175 THE COLONEL HAD TO RIDE BACK … AND, WHILE ASSEGAIS AND SHOTS SPED PAST HIM, CARRY OFF THE DISMOUNTED MAN UPON HIS HORSE 193 PIPER FINDLATER … PROPPED HIMSELF UP AGAINST A BOULDER AND CONTINUED TO PLAY HIS PIPES 236 THE GUNS WERE REACHED, BUT AT ONCE BOER SHELLS AND BULLETS BEGAN TO DROP THICKLY AROUND 242 PREFACE The celebration this year of the Jubilee of the Victoria Cross may be offered as sufficient excuse for the appearance of this volume. Such a notable event deserves to be fittingly commemorated, and it is in the hope that it will be accepted as a standard work on the subject that the present book is put forth. My original intention of telling the stories of _all_ the V.C. exploits was found to be impracticable within the limit of space prescribed. A selection, therefore, has been made, and these instances--a very large number--have been narrated more or less at length. The history of the Decoration has been brought right up to date.