After the Queen's health had been drunk, Lord Roberts, in a happy little speech in which he proposed the health of the foreign Attaches, said that he had much regretted while in Capetown not having been able to entertain the Attaches, but now he felt some satisfaction at not having been able to do it, as he was able to entertain them as comrades, while at Capetown they would only have been representatives of foreign Powers. He had often been distressed at seeing the Attaches undergoing many discomforts on the march. But it had shown him that they were officers devoted to their duty, and regardless of all discomforts. He had not heard complaint or murmur of discontent at their want of comfort, in fact, the only complaint made was one to Lord Downe in which Attaches represented to him that he, with a regard for their personal safety, had not allowed them to go as close as they could wish to the passing line. It had been a great pleasure to see them there that night, and he hoped before long to be able to entertain them again in Pretoria. Colonel Stakovitch, the Russian Attache, replied, saying how pleasant it had been for him and his comrades to accompany the British Army on their great and successful march. He thanked the Field Marshal for his kindness and courtesy to them, and wound up by proposing the health of Lord Roberts and his army, to which Lord Roberts made a suitable reply. The band of the Buffs played a selection of music during dinner. The Austrian Attache was unavoidably absent, having left on a short visit to Capetown. CHAPTER IX "OH, HOW GOOD IT WAS!" _All Ranks join our Corps of Contributors, and the Oasis of Literature sparkles like a Fountain in a Desert._ Generals, colonels, majors, captains, subalterns, privates, war correspondents who had not connected themselves with our venture, naval officers--all ranks and all sorts, suddenly rushed to our support, in consequence of my wail for help, and THE FRIEND took on an interest and importance proportionately greater, I think, than that of any newspaper then published in the language. Its circulation rose among the thousands whereas the largest daily distribution had been only 400 copies before the war. We numbered the paper of March 24th "No. 6," though it was in reality the eighth copy we had published, six being the number since we had enlarged it to its final size. I marvel at our success as I look back upon this number.