turned in. The
greater part of the brigade did not reach Star Hill till the following
day.

On the 13th the Gordons and Devons moved camp to Hyde's Farm under
Surprise Hill, the Devons proceeding next day to a camp under
Thornhill's Kopje, throwing out picquets on that hill and also on
another kopje further out towards Nicholson's Nek known as Devon Kopje.

From this time till May 15th the battalion remained quietly encamped
under Thornhill's Kopje. Route marching and field days occupied the men
most mornings, hockey and football most afternoons. The men suffered a
good deal at first from jaundice, which was chiefly the result of
over-eating after their long abstinence, but they got fit and recovered
their strength gradually; it was, however, fully six weeks to two months
before they were really ready to take the field.

In the meantime General Buller had turned the Biggarsberg, and the Boers
had fallen back on Laing's Nek.

The 7th Brigade now formed part of the 4th Division under the command of
Major-General Neville Lyttleton, and on May 16th the Regiment was
ordered to proceed north to Modder's Spruit. Here it remained till the
20th, on which day it continued its march to Elandslaagte, and encamped
near the railway station. On the 23rd, having handed in all tents and
excess baggage, the Regiment marched to Sunday's River, where it joined
up with the divisional head-quarters, and on the following day formed
the rear-guard on the march to Black Craig Farm. Here the division
encamped in the heart of the Biggarsberg.

Halting at Kalabis on the 25th, the division reached Ingagane on the
26th.

[Illustration: Railway Bridge Destroyed by Boers, Ingagane]

The brigade was now split up and placed on the line of communications,
and it was thought probable that the Regiment would see no more fighting
and that the war would soon be brought to a conclusion. Of the four
regiments in the brigade, the Manchester Regiment had been left behind
to garrison Jonono's Kop and the railway line near Elandslaagte, the
Devons were left to garrison Ingagane on the railway, and the Rifle
Brigade was at Newcastle and between that place and Ingogo at the foot
of the Laing's Nek pass. The Gordon Highlanders were at Ingogo and
guarded the railway line still further north.

The Regiment itself was also split up. A detachment of one company under
Captain Travers (increased afterwards to two companies) proceeded to
occupy Dannhauser, and tw