age
of. It is true that those men who first arrived on the summit were
firing away, and were joined in doing so by every other man who
breathlessly arrived. The company officers had just got their men well
in hand, and were directing the fire, when to every one's disgust, and
sheer, blank amazement, the 'Cease fire' sounded clear above the din
of the fight. There was nothing for it but to stop, but the sight of
the enemy streaming away in dense masses just below them, that enemy
who had up to now been pouring a relentless hail of bullets on them
for hours, was too much. Captain Hensley rushed up to Major English,
and after a brief conference, feeling certain the call must have been
blown in error, the latter gave the command to re-open fire. Barely
was it obeyed when the imperative bugle once more blared forth its
interference, and the company officers, the commanders of the
recognised battle-units, had nothing left them but compliance.

The guns with 'D' company as escort had come to the neck between
Talana and Dundee Hills, but did not fire. The fight was over and
Major English formed up the battalion. It then marched back as a
rearguard to the brigade, through Dundee to the camp, much as if after
a field-day, halting half-way to receive an issue of rations sent out
by the A.S.C. It had lost two officers and six men killed, and three
officers and fifty-two men wounded. As the troops passed through the
town they were warmly cheered by the inhabitants. Late in the
afternoon news reached the camp that the Mounted Infantry company,
together with a squadron of the 18th Hussars, had been captured, but
this was kept from the rank and file of the battalion. As already
stated above, Colonel Moeller had been sent with the mounted troops
round the right flank of the Boers. He succeeded in his task, but
proceeded too far, and when the enemy retreated from Talana Hill he
found himself with some 200 rifles attempting to stop a force of 4000
Boers. He was roughly handled, but managed to get clear. Then,
unluckily misled by the mist, he lost his way, and, instead of
returning to camp, moved towards Impati Mountain, where he stumbled
into the Boer main commando advancing from Newcastle. He took up a
defensive position, placing the cavalry in a kraal and the mounted
infantry on some rising ground near. The enemy brought up artillery
and soon surrounded him, finally forcing him to surrender.

Talana Hill, in point of numbers, may not