fence, inside which Colonel Dartnell's
orderly was just preparing to shave. He had his looking-glass on a rail
of the fence, when between it and himself, a distance of not more than
two feet, the shell ripped with a deafening shriek, to bury itself and
burst by the root of a tree not three yards off. How this man escaped
death is a wonder. The wall behind him was scarred by splinters, the
iron fence in front torn and twisted into strange shapes, the rails
crushed to matchwood by the force of concussion. Yet there he stood
unscathed in the midst of it all. He had not heard the shell coming
until its burst stunned, and for nearly a minute afterwards he remained
motionless, too dazed to know what had happened.

In the afternoon (writes Mr. Pearse) Lord Ava and I rode out to have
afternoon tea with the officers of Major Goulburn's battery on Waggon
Hill. Some Boers apparently had a larger and more festive gathering in
the dismantled fort on Middle Hill. They were well within range of our
12-pounder, and the middy in charge was very anxious to have a shot, but
Major Goulburn decided not to waste ammunition in breaking up that tea
party or 'dop raad.' I confess this seemed to me a mistake, for Boers
were sniping across Bester's Valley with such persistency that we had to
keep a sharp watch on our knee-haltered ponies lest they should stray
towards the dangerous zone, where one man of the Manchesters was killed
directly he showed himself. There would have been some satisfaction in a
reprisal, but orders are very strict against wasting ammunition, of
which by the way we have none to spare that might not be wanted if the
enemy should venture on a general attack.

On the same evening the Boers on Bulwaan signalled to the Gordons at Fly
Kraal Post--"Where is Buller now? He has presented us with ten guns in
place of three you took."

What seemed like the answer came on the following day, the 21st,
when we have the following entry:--

Sir Redvers Buller's heavy batteries opened fire early this morning from
some position south-west of Colenso. We feel, though we have no means of
knowing for certain, that large reinforcements must have been sent that
way recently from round about Ladysmith, leaving the lines of investment
comparatively weak. Our enemy, however, makes a great show of being
strong here by keeping up a more vicious bombardment when the situation
threatens to become warm for him along the Tugela. His object,