Mafeking Mooch of the right foot pointing inward, whereas middle and upper-class men pointed their toes outward. Montague was outraged at the notion that perfectly healthy men would have the audacity to pretend that they had served His Majesty and pretend that they had been injured to win respect, sympathy and the possible affections of a young woman. The phenomenon of the Mafeking Mooch added to the already considerable national anguish caused by the Boer War. Although Britain ultimately triumphed over the Boer republics, the country's perceived military might have been shown to be wanting in the face of the nimble and
Siege of Mafeking town showed they were well trained as they performed remarkably well in their intended mobile role. The Mafeking defending forces totalled around 2,000, including the Protectorate Regiment of around 500 men, around 300 from the Bechuanaland Rifles and the Cape Police and a further 300 men from the town. The British garrison armed 300 African natives with rifles, these were nicknamed the "Black Watch" and used to guard the perimeter. Prior to the siege, Lord Edward Cecil formed the Mafeking Cadet Corps of boys aged 12 to 15 (claimed to be one of the inspirations for the Boy Scouts) who