and one company of the Derbys. The centre
comprised two guns (8th R.F. A.), one howitzer, two companies of the
Scottish Borderers and one of the Derbys; while the right was made up
of two guns (8th R.F.A. ), 200 Scottish Horse, and two companies of
Borderers. Having ascertained that the guns were not there, the force
about midday was returning to the camp, when the storm broke suddenly
and fiercely upon the rearguard.

There had been some sniping during the whole morning, but no indications
of the determined attack which was about to be delivered. The force in
retiring upon the camp had become divided, and the rearguard consisted
of the small column under Major Chance which had originally formed the
left wing. A veld fire was raging on one flank of this rearguard, and
through the veil of smoke a body of five hundred Boers charged suddenly
home with magnificent gallantry upon the guns. We have few records of a
more dashing or of a more successful action in the whole course of the
war. So rapid was it that hardly any time elapsed between the glimpse
of the first dark figures galloping through the haze and the thunder
of their hoofs as they dashed in among the gunners. The Yeomanry were
driven back and many of them shot down. The charge of the mounted
Boers was supported by a very heavy fire from a covering party, and the
gun-detachments were killed or wounded almost to a man. The lieutenant
in charge and the sergeant were both upon the ground. So far as it is
possible to reconstruct the action from the confused accounts of excited
eye-witnesses and from the exceedingly obscure official report of
General Dixon, there was no longer any resistance round the guns,
which were at once turned by their captors upon the nearest British
detachment.

The company of infantry which had helped to escort the guns proved
however to be worthy representatives of that historic branch of
the British service. They were northerners, men of Derbyshire and
Nottingham, the same counties which had furnished the brave militia who
had taken their punishment so gamely at Roodeval. Though hustled and
broken they re-formed and clung doggedly to their task, firing at the
groups of Boers who surrounded the guns. At the same time word had been
sent of their pressing need to the Scotch Borderers and the Scottish
Horse, who came swarming across the valley to the succour of their
comrades. Dixon had brought two guns and a howitzer into action, which
subdue