e between civilised combatants.

Halting for a brief breathing space, now and again, at General Hunter's
command, then following with all the speed they could muster where he
and his aide-de-camp, Major King, led the Imperial Light Horse on the
left, the Carbineers on their right made a final dash for the steepest
climb of all, and, breathless, gained the ridge, to find that the Boers
had quitted it, leaving not a man in defence of the guns. A great stroke
of luck befell the Imperial Light Horse, who crossed the heights with
their left flank opposite a Boer 12-pounder and Maxim gun. The latter
they made a clean capture of, but the field-piece, being too heavy for
them to carry off, was left to the tender mercies of the engineers, who
soon had bracelets of gun-cotton round it, and the breech-pieces damaged
beyond repair.

Meanwhile the right flank was sweeping round towards the main battery in
expectation of meeting with some resistance from the gun's crew of "Big
Ben of Little Bulwaan." That weapon had, in virtue of similar qualities,
succeeded to "Long Tom's" second title, but did not live long to enjoy
it. The end of his active career was at hand when the Light Horse made
their dash for him and found that he had been deserted by all his
friends. It was poetical justice that Colonel Edwardes and Major Karri
Davis of the corps which Big Ben had shelled most persistently should be
first to lay hands on him and claim every part that could be taken away
as a rightful trophy for the Imperial Light Horse. But Major Henderson,
in spite of his wounds, General Sir Archibald Hunter, and Major King
were in the redoubt at that moment, and therefore the honours are
divided. Doctor Platt, of the Border Mounted, claims to have been among
the first four in. Some of the Carbineers are also under the impression
that they captured a gun, and though there is nothing to show for it,
they deserve full credit for an important share in the night's success.
A line was formed in rear of the battery, while engineers put rings of
gun-cotton round Big Ben's muzzle and breech. Then fuses were set
alight, and our men retired hastily beyond reach of the imminent
explosion. After that engineers and artillerymen went back to make sure
that their work had not been bungled, and saw with satisfaction that the
gun-cotton had rent great holes through Big Ben's breech in two places,
rendering him totally unfit for foreign service. This was the crowning
act