the South Wales
Borderers, who had several men and one officer hit. We remained in
this pass for some days, sending out small expeditions among the
adjacent hills, and erecting fortifications to cover the defile. It
was in its way an important place, being within a few miles of
Wolverdiend Station, and providing an excellent door through the
rocky, serrated peaks of the Gatsrand into the broad plain which lay
between them and the Vaal. Our camp was situated just on the north
side of the pass, in a picturesque place, with easy access to the
railway, and from a tactical point of view an excellent position.

Next day a convoy with nearly ten thousand cattle, sheep, &c., was
dispatched to Wolverdiend, without seeing any signs of the enemy.

The night of the 25th-26th could scarcely have been worse; heavy rain,
howling wind, and vivid and frequent lightning with its sonorous
accompaniment, put sleep out of the question; indeed, at one period it
became necessary to get up and hold on to the tents to prevent them
being blown away. With the advent of dawn the forces of nature gave us
a rest, our friends the enemy immediately filling their place. They
opened fire from some kopjes to the east of the camp, and endeavoured
to round up some of our cattle. The South Wales Borderers undertook to
dislodge them, and speedily did so, the 'Cow-gun' joining in at long
range as soon as the Boers evacuated their positions. Having disposed
of man for the time being, Nature again rolled up in dense masses of
magnificent clouds to the attack. The storm which followed was also
one to be remembered; the lightning could be seen striking the ground
in the close vicinity of the camp, and though no one was hit, we heard
that two men of the regiment at Kaalfontein were not so fortunate, one
poor fellow being killed and the other severely wounded. 'C' company,
2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers, was on piquet through both these night and
day storms, and had, as may be imagined, an unenviable experience.

On the 27th, General Hart rode down to Wolverdiend to see Sir John
French. While he was away, word arrived that a party of Roberts' Horse
who were out scouting had been held up. Colonel Wilson--the senior
officer in camp--detailed 100 Carabineers to go to their assistance,
but they found the opposition still too great, so two companies of the
regiment were sent out to reinforce them, while the guns opened fire
from the summits of the hills. In the middle of