ly held
their own, lying down and returning volley after volley for a full
half-hour. Meanwhile the 9th Brigade advanced across the plain in
extended order, and at half-past four two batteries posted near the
railway commenced shelling the enemy's position.

Now the Guards began to proceed. Steadily forward they went--the thin,
extended line moved as on parade, no supports being behind them.

Scarcely had they reached the base of the hill than a fierce storm of
lead poured like a cascade from guns and rifles. It was useless now to
attempt to return the fire--the Boers were invisible. There was no help
for it; the men had only to move on and trust to their best "cold
Sheffield" and their warm, gallant hearts. They fixed bayonets. Major
Kinloch gave the word to his men to advance. "Now, boys, as hard as you
can go!" he sang out. The other officers shouted their orders; all were
dashing along like lions loosened from a cage. Cheers rent the air,
bullets buzzed, cannons roared, blood streamed and spouted, plucky men
and brave boys dropped dead on every side. Yet on went the infantry
brigades! The first kopje was stormed! The Boers had vanished!

It was a sight to thrill the blood, to make the heart leap to the
throat--so grand, so awful, so reminiscent of all the great traditions
of British history. The enemy went helter-skelter to their second kopje
on the right, where another force was strongly intrenched. Here they
were sheltered by a number of "schantz," or trenches built of boulders
and arranged in gallery form, and here our men mounted after
them--Coldstreams, Grenadiers, Scots Guards, Northumberlands,
Northamptons, and 2nd King's Own Yorkshires, now steadily advancing
without excitement and with stern determination, and through a horrible
cross-fire from the death-dealing rifles of the enemy.

Their advance was grand--a feat of heroism--with the Boer missiles
flying about their heads and the track of blood seeming to tinge the
very atmosphere with red. On and on they pushed, cheering loudly up the
steep incline and over the boulders, nimble as goats, determined as
giants, on and on, and, with a mighty roar, took the position. Dead men
lay at their feet, but honour, with its laurel crown, wreathed their
heads!

Again the Boers made a hasty, a desperate retreat; again they sought a
strongly-fortified position; again, our cavalry being too far off to
reach them, the infantry combat was renewed.

A hurricane of bu