ash of our
men, and they have had an introduction to cold steel such as
will not encourage them willingly to face it again. The
steadiness of the Town-Guard on the east front was noticeable
later in the night, when the enemy had a scare, and broke into
wild firing, to which the guard made reply.--By order (Signed)
E. H. CECIL, Major, C.S.O."

After this the Boers brought a big gun to bear on the position, and
blazed away at a distance of seven miles from the town. Out of sixteen
shells only one struck. This set fire to a store. The huge weapon
evidently proved a white elephant, for before long the besiegers, much
to the joy of the besieged, ceased their attempts to work it.

But heavy bombardment still took place. The Boer hosts attacked the town
from three sides at once and were steadily repulsed by the British
Maxims. All through the week Cronje's commandoes indulged in desultory
rifle-fire, now and again throwing a shell by way of variety, to which
attentions Colonel Baden-Powell and his smart garrison responded with
such zest and animation, that the Boers, discomfited, declared that the
place contained "not men, but devils!"

On Tuesday, the 31st of October, in the early hours of the morning, some
hard fighting again took place. Colonel Walford and his detachment of
the British South African Police held the fort called Cannon Kopje
against an advance of the enemy, made under cover of four heavy guns and
one 100-pounder. The affair ended in an entire defeat of the Dutchmen,
but not before some gallant lives were sacrificed. The following order,
issued the same day by Colonel Baden-Powell, describes the action:--

"The detachment of British South African Police forming the
garrison at Cannon Kopje under the command of Colonel Walford,
have this day performed a brilliant service by the gallant and
determined stand made by them on their post in the face of a
very hot shell-fire from the enemy. The intention of the Boers
had been, after getting their guns and attacking force into
position during the night, to storm Cannon Kopje at daybreak,
and thence to bombard the south-east position of the town and
carry it with a large force. They collected in the Molopo
Valley. Their whole scheme has been defeated by the gallant
resistance made by the garrison at Cannon Kopje, who not only
refused to budge from their position under a cross-