s
time. The company of Somersetshire Light Infantry were holding a small
knoll in prolongation of his left, and some 2000 yards off. Against
them the Boers brought up their Krupp gun which they had used against
us two or three days before. The range was considerable, but they
managed to reach their target; yet, though they fired twenty-three
shells into the camp of this company, the only damage they did was to
knock the top off a box of eggs _without breaking a single egg_. They
also managed to pitch a shell or two amongst the transport. Our
fifteen-pounders endeavoured to reply, but, in spite of digging deep
holes for the trails, were unable to reach the ridge from which the
Boers were firing.

Major Bird's force having joined hands with the main column shortly
after dark, the long march was resumed at 10 p.m. It was a pitch-dark
night, and the difficulty of keeping in touch, and the still greater
difficulty of keeping the transport in touch, wore out tempers as well
as sinews. On one occasion the regiment as nearly as possible got
left. We were following the first-line transport of the corps
immediately in front of us, and keeping close up to it, but the
Colonel got anxious, and, after several times asking the adjutant if
he was certain we were in touch, told him to ride on and see. He came
back in a few minutes to say that there was nothing to be seen ahead.
The carts in front had lost touch, and they were all we had to guide
us. The adjutant at once cantered on, and had the good fortune to
shortly pick up the tail of the column, when everything was soon all
right again. The march continued the whole night, dawn being heralded
by the corncrake-like note of the pompom, which led us to hope we had
effected our object. But once again it was not to be, for the Boer
laager had moved off, and from the top of a small hill could be seen
trekking away about 7000 yards distant. Men and horses had been at it
since 6 a.m. the day before, and any further pursuit was out of the
question. Indeed, an extra two or three miles that had to be done to
reach a better camping-ground almost proved the last straw. The right
half-battalion had marched thirty-three miles in the twenty-four
hours, and only slept on one night out of the last three, while the
left half-battalion had done twenty-six miles in eighteen hours.

Our enemy had slipped away once more at the critical moment, but our
spirits were raised all the same by the arrival of a