companies of
King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, moving on the centre kopje, and
the Naval brigade with the other North Lancashire company, under the
command of Lt. A. J. Carter, still leading towards the eastern kopje
with the Northamptonshire company in support. The enemy's fire
meanwhile increased in intensity, and both officers and men were
falling fast on the British side. The last 200 yards to the foot of
the hill were therefore traversed in a single rush. At the base of the
kopjes a certain amount of dead ground allowed of a short breathing
space, during which a consultation between the company officers left
in command took place. They determined to scale the hill and ordered
the men to fix bayonets.

[Footnote 162: See p. 235, par. 2. The brigade, to the front
of which the Naval battalion had passed during the flank
movement, was now advancing to support these two companies in
the attack.]

[Sidenote: Losses of attackers on south front.]

The Naval contingent had already suffered heavily. Captain R. C.
Prothero, R.N., was wounded; Commander A. P. Ethelston, R.N., Major J.
H. Plumbe, R.M.L.I., and Captain Guy Senior, R.M.A., had been
killed;[163] the command of the battalion thus devolving on Captain A.
E. Marchant, R.M.L.I. The two companies of the North Lancashire, more
fortunate, owing to their wide extension and their use of such cover
as the ant-hills afforded, reached the base of the kopjes with
considerably less loss than the Naval battalion.

[Footnote 163: The officers of the Naval brigade wore the
same headgear as their men, and, except Captain Prothero and
Midshipman Wardle, all carried rifles.]

[Sidenote: Preparations for attack on east front.]

While this advance against the southern face of the kopje was being
executed, the six companies of the King's Own Yorkshire Light
Infantry, and the three remaining companies of the Northamptonshire
regiment, had gradually worked round the enemy's left flank. The two
pom-poms posted on this side proved troublesome, although endeavours
were made to reach them by the two guns of the 18th battery[164] and
by long-range rifle-fire. The Yorkshire Light Infantry were being
carefully manoeuvred in successive lines extended at ten paces
interval, and having pivoted on the left flank, succeeded,
notwithstanding the pom-poms and a heavy rifle-fire, in crossing the
open plain to the foot of the east