if his excitement and misery--he was dazed by the
blow on his head--would prevent him from working the engine further, and
as only he understood the machinery all chances of escape seemed to be
cut off. Yet when I told this man that if he continued to stay at his
post he would be mentioned for distinguished gallantry in action, he
pulled himself together, wiped the blood off his face, climbed back into
the cab of his engine, and thereafter during the one-sided combat did
his duty bravely and faithfully--so strong is the desire for honour and
repute in the human breast.

I reached the overturned portion of the train uninjured. The volunteers
who, though severely shaken, were mostly unhurt, were lying down under
such cover as the damaged cars and the gutters of the railway line
afforded. It was a very grievous sight to see these citizen soldiers,
most of whom were the fathers of families, in such a perilous position.
They bore themselves well, though greatly troubled, and their major,
whose name I have not learned, directed their fire on the enemy; but
since these, lying behind the crests of the surrounding hills, were
almost invisible I did not expect that it would be very effective.

Having seen this much, I ran along the train to the rear armoured truck
and told Captain Haldane that in my opinion the line might be cleared.
We then agreed that he with musketry should keep the enemy's artillery
from destroying us, and that I should try to throw the wreckage off the
line, so that the engine and the two cars which still remained on the
rails might escape.

I am convinced that this arrangement gave us the best possible chance of
safety, though at the time it was made the position appeared quite
hopeless.

Accordingly Haldane and his Fusiliers began to fire through their
loopholes at the Boer artillery, and, as the enemy afterwards admitted,
actually disturbed their aim considerably. During the time that these
men were firing from the truck four shells passed through the armour,
but luckily not one exploded until it had passed out on the further
side. Many shells also struck and burst on the outside of their shields,
and these knocked all the soldiers on their backs with the concussion.
Nevertheless a well-directed fire was maintained without cessation.

The task of clearing the line would not, perhaps, in ordinary
circumstances have been a very difficult one. But the breakdown gang and
their tools were scattered to the