ent work.
It effectually baulked the enemy's mounted troops in their repeated
efforts to outflank us on that side, and also made it impossible for the
English to bring their guns farther east, so as to command the
_tafel-kop_. They did, indeed, make an attempt to place some guns
between us and Platrand, which lay to the north of our eastern position,
but it was unsuccessful, for our Krupp on the _tafel-kop_ brought such a
heavy fire to bear on the troops and gunners, that they were forced to
retire.

We, on our part, as I have already said, found it equally impossible to
storm the English positions. To advance would have been to expose
ourselves to the fire of their heavy guns, whereas an attack to the
south would have involved exposure to a cross-fire from the guns on
Platrand.

Altogether it was a most unsatisfactory engagement for us both. Nothing
decisive was effected; and, as is always the case in such battles,
little was done except by the big guns, which kept up a perpetual roar
from ten in the morning until five in the afternoon. At that hour the
British fell back on Ladysmith.

Our loss was one killed and six wounded, among the latter being
Veldtcornet Marthinus Els, of Heilbron.

It was evident that the English did not escape without loss, but we were
unable to ascertain its extent. My own opinion is that they did not lose
very heavily.

From that day nothing of importance happened until I left Natal; though
both the Transvaalers and Free State burghers had a few slight brushes
with the enemy.

During the night of December the 7th, "Long Tom," the big Transvaal gun,
which had been placed on Bulwana Hill, had been so seriously damaged by
dynamite, that it had to remain out of action for some time. We all
admitted that the English on that occasion acted with great skill and
prudence, and that the courage of their leaders deserved every praise.
Yet, if we had only been on our guard, we might have beaten off the
storming party; but they had caught us unawares. Nevertheless, the
mishap taught us a useful lesson: henceforth the Transvaal Commandants
were more strict, and their increased severity had an excellent effect
both on the burghers and gunners.

General Sir Redvers Buller had landed at Cape Town early in November. We
were now expecting every day to hear that he had assumed the chief
command over the English army encamped between Estcourt and Colenso. The
number of troops there was continually incre