with a sigh, he looked up at the
major and touched his left arm, his breast, and his neck. "Yes," he
said faintly, "the coward has it now."

"Bearers here," cried the major, and he turned to direct his men, for he
was needed.

The Boers were coming on again in short rushes, regardless of the
terrific fire poured upon them in the faint light of day, and a perfect
hail of bullets was flying to and fro. And not only facing the village,
but all round the kopje, where the enemy had in several places secured a
footing and were utilising the stone defences prepared by the colonel's
men, but of course from the reverse side. It had this good effect,
though; it condensed the British force, giving them less ground to
defend; and for the next two hours wherever a Boer dared to show enough
of himself to form a spot at which to aim, a bullet came.

The losses were terrible on both sides, for the attack was as brave as
the defence; and even when the two small guns were brought into action,
to send shells hurtling wherever the continually increasing enemy were
seen to approach in clusters, the attack went on.

"It's of no use, major," said the colonel at last, as they stood
together; "they mean to have the place."

"What!" said the latter officer fiercely. "You don't mean surrender?"

"My dear fellow, no: not while there's a cartridge left."

"Ha!" sighed the major. "You gave me quite a turn."

"I meant, if this keeps on we shall lose as many men as if we brought it
to a head. Besides, they'll hold on to the parts they've got, and keep
creeping nearer."

"You mean the bayonet at once?"

"Exactly," said the colonel. "Off with you; take one side and I'll take
the other. We must clear the kopje before the heat comes on."

"Yes," said the major, with a grim smile; "and the lads must want their
breakfast now."

The men in each trench rolled up their sleeves as they heard the order
given to fix bayonets again, and, leaping over the defences, rushed
forward, to be staggered a little by the enemy's fire; then, with a
cheer, on they went, the sun glistening upon the line of pointed steel.

It was more than the Boers could bear; defence after defence was
vacated, and, soon after, the result of charge after charge was followed
by a headlong flight which soon spread into a panic. It was "_Sauve qui
peut_," uttered in Boer Dutch; while the failure of the daring attack
was completed fast by the emptying of the rifle magazines