t the gun was placed in position, and at dawn the hill
was shelled. I stood watching the shells, as one after the other
exploded on the hill. Not a living object was visible, none
stirred, and so still (I shall not say at ease) did the English lie
in the skanzes that I remarked to Prinsloo: 'General, it seems the
enemy has abandoned the hill during the night, else we must already
have seen some signs of them.'

[Illustration: THE LINDLEY AFFAIR.]

"After we had bombarded the hill for some time, a number of
burghers charged it. Breathlessly we stood watching these gallant
chargers. Arrived at the foot of the hill, they dismounted, and
began climbing it. For some time all went well, when lo! a fire was
directed against them from the summit. Being quite coverless on the
slopes of the hill, they were forced to retreat. As they retreated
the enemy rose to their feet and fired as briskly as they could at
them. When we saw the English on top of the hill we mistook them
for Boers, and began to clap hands and cheer, thinking that the
hill had been taken by our men. We were soon disillusioned.

"As the burghers retreated, something strange and inexplicable
occurred, which really decided the fate of the enemy. It was this:
the burghers had hardly gone 300 yards, when the British abandoned
_en masse_ the hill, and retreated, almost as fast as the former,
in the opposite direction. Whether they feared another and more
determined onslaught, or whether there was the usual
misunderstanding, I wot not. Be it as it may, the position we so
coveted was abandoned; it was for us to seize it at once. With a
little encouragement the charge was repeated, the hill taken, and
in less than twenty minutes the white flag announced the surrender
of Spragge's column.

"Between 60 and 70 of the enemy were wounded and killed, while the
rest were made prisoners. It was their first interview with the
Boers. After a four days' siege a bath and a good meal must have
been welcome.

"From the veldt we took our surrendered friends to the village. The
wounded were placed in the local hospital, and the officers found
lodgings for the night in an hotel.

"I escorted Spragge to the village. On the way he had a long talk
with me about the war, and wished to know why the Free St