emy, while the rest of the party by sheer main force got
the engine into working order, smashing everything in its way, and
packing it, as tenderly as possible, with the helpless creatures whose
groans and cries were in themselves enough to make the blood of the
stoutest hearts run cold. Every man seemed bent on eclipsing the courage
of his comrade and following the example set by the gallant war
correspondent. Sergeant Bassett of the Dublins roared his orders with
firm and steady voice, giving his men the range with an air of cool
unconcern that was truly reassuring, while Wright of the Durham Light
Infantry was also conspicuous. During the turmoil he fired from the knee
in the regular position, and was as calm and collected as if he had been
at a rifle-range. With each shot he cracked a joke and kept his comrades
from getting excited. All this time the poor fellow was wounded, half
his right ear having been shot away. Private Kavanagh, the wag of the
Dublins, chaffed his comrades, telling them the Boer shells were
harmless, they could hit nothing "at all, at all!" and Corporal Dickie,
though wounded and lying on his back, continued to bellow to his mates,
"Give 'em beans, boys! give 'em beans!" And meanwhile Mr. Churchill,
though rained on with lead and almost stunned by the noise, was coolly
giving directions for the lifting of the wounded and for the moving of
the engine. Finally, he had the satisfaction of getting the engine and
tender safely charged with their mutilated human freight and started on
the melancholy return journey. Swiftly the train steamed off, protected
by the fire of Dublins and Durhams, and as it did so, Mr. Churchill, who
went with it a little way, but who had stoutly refused all requests to
continue farther, returned to the help of such of the wounded as had
been left behind. His noble self-sacrifice, however, was of no avail.
Directly afterwards he was set on by the enemy and made a prisoner, in
company with two brave officers, Captain Haldane and Lieutenant
Frankland, and fifty-eight of the wounded. The unfortunate party was
then marched in the pouring rain to Colenso. On the following morning
they were taken to the Boer camp before Ladysmith, and thence _via_
Modder Spruit to Pretoria. In the course of the journey a great
concourse of persons crowded to see the captured, and in justice to the
Boers it must be said that there was only one exception to prove the
rule that courtesy on all sides w