ade.

There was little or no opposition till the scouts came under fire from
Bergendal Kopje, or Drie Kraal as it was otherwise known. This rocky
kopje was strongly fortified and held by the Boers. A Field Battery
opened fire on to the kopje at about 3000 yards' range from some rising
ground. Shortly afterwards the remaining guns--5-inch, 4.7's, naval
12-pounders, in all to the number of about thirty-nine--commenced
pouring shells on to this one spot in the Boer position. This shelling
continued for about three hours.

Very early in the morning a train had been seen coming out from
Machadodorp with reinforcements. These, it was ascertained, were the
Johannesburg Police, to the number of about eighty, and they formed the
garrison of the kopje, about a hundred more being in the farm behind the
kopje. This kopje was a small hill covered with large boulders. The
rocks had been connected with large stones to form sangars, behind which
the garrison found cover. A pompom was included in the armament of the
position, which measured about eighty yards by forty yards only. It fell
away abruptly in the rear, the farm and outbuildings lying very close
under the steep rear side of the hill.

The English shells fell with terrible accuracy into the sangars, and
there was an almost continuous explosion on the hill. Yet the Boers kept
up their fire till the Rifle Brigade were within ten yards of them, and
their pompom was in action, although partly jammed and firing single
shots, till the very end. This pompom was bravely served by one man, the
remainder of the gun team having been either killed or wounded. It is
not known whether this plucky fellow survived or not.

General Walter Kitchener, who was commanding the infantry attack,
decided to attack with the Rifle Brigade along the ridge which ended in
the kopje, which was slightly above the level of the ridge. At the same
time he ordered the Inniskilling Fusiliers to attack over the low ground
on the Rifle Brigade's right, whilst the Gordon Highlanders and the
Devonshire Regiment were held in support.

The Rifle Brigade started from the foot of the hills under which they
had taken cover, and which was about 1200 yards from the Boer position,
and almost immediately came under heavy musketry fire, being much
exposed on the high open ridge.

They, however, continued their advance in perfect order and eventually
rushed the kopje, the British shells dropping and the Boers firing till