shells, every one of which fell among or within a hundred yards of our ranks.  Between us and the wood ran a deep donga with a river only fordable in places flowing through it.  Some confusion occurred in crossing this, but at last the whole regiment was across, and found shelter from the terrible gun—­perhaps there were two—­on the further bank.  Thanks to our dispersed formation only two horses had been killed, and it was possible to admire without having to deplore the skill of the artillerists who could make such beautiful practice at such a range.

Colonel Byng thought it advisable to leave the horses in the cover of the protecting river bank, and we therefore pushed on, dismounted, and, straggling through the high maize crop without presenting any target to the guns, reached the wood safely.  Through this we hurried as far as its further edge.  Here the riflemen on the hill opened with long-range fire.  It was only a hundred yards into the donga, and the troopers immediately began running across in twos and threes.  In the irregular corps all appearances are sacrificed to the main object of getting where you want to without being hurt.  No one was hurt.

Colonel Byng made his way along the donga to within about twelve or fourteen hundred yards, and from excellent cover opened fire on the Boers holding the summit of the hill.  A long musketry duel ensued without any loss to our side, and with probably no more to the enemy.  The colonial troopers, as wary as the Dutch, showed very little to shoot at, so that, though there were plenty of bullets, there was no bloodshed.  Regular infantry would probably have lost thirty or forty men.

I went back for machine guns, and about half an hour later they were brought into action at the edge of the wood.  Boers on the sky-line at two thousand yards—­tat-tat-tat-tat-tat half a dozen times repeated; Boers galloping to cover; one—­yes, by Jupiter!—­one on his back on the grass; after that no more targets to shoot at; continuous searching of the sky-line, however, on the chance of killing someone, and, in any case, to support the frontal attack.  We had altogether three guns—­the 13th Hussars’ Maxim under Lieutenant Clutterbuck, detached from the 4th Hussars; one of Lord Dundonald’s battery of Colts under Mr. Hill, who is a member of Parliament, and guides the majestic course of Empire besides managing machine guns; and our own Maxim, all under Major Villiers.

These three machines set up a most exhilarating splutter, flaring and crackling all along the edge of the wood, and even attracted the attention of the Boers.  All of a sudden there was a furious rush and roar overhead; two or three little cassarina trees and a shower of branches fell to the ground.  What on earth could this be?  The main action was crashing away on the right.  Evidently a shell had passed a few feet over our heads, but was it from our guns shelling the hills in front, or from the enemy?  In another minute the question was answered by another