Indeed there was a very hot fire, in spite of the range.  Yet no one was hit.  Ah, yes, there was one, a tall trooper turned sharply on his side, and two of his comrades carried him quickly back behind a little house, shot through the thigh.  A little further along the firing line another was being helped to the rear.  The Colt Battery drew the cream of the fire, and Mr. Garrett, one of the experts sent out by the firm, was shot through the ankle, but he continued to work his gun.  Captain Hill walked up and down his battery exposing himself with great delight, and showing that he was a very worthy representative of an Irish constituency.

I happened to pass along the line on some duty or other when I noticed my younger brother, whose keen desire to take some part in the public quarrel had led me, in spite of misgivings, to procure him a lieutenancy, lying on the ground, with his troop.  As I approached I saw him start in the quick, peculiar manner of a stricken man.  I asked him at once whether he was hurt, and he said something—­he thought it must be a bullet—­had hit him on the gaiter and numbed his leg.  He was quite sure it had not gone in, but when we had carried him away we found—­as I expected—­that he was shot through the leg.  The wound was not serious, but the doctors declared he would be a month in hospital.  It was his baptism of fire, and I have since wondered at the strange caprice which strikes down one man in his first skirmish and protects another time after time.  But I suppose all pitchers will get broken in the end.  Outwardly I sympathised with my brother in his misfortune, which he mourned bitterly, since it prevented him taking part in the impending battle, but secretly I confess myself well content that this young gentleman should be honourably out of harm’s way for a month.

It was neither our business nor our pleasure to remain and continue this long-range duel with the Boers.  Our work for the day was over, and all were anxious to get home to luncheon.  Accordingly, as soon as the battery had come into action to cover our withdrawal we commenced withdrawing squadron by squadron and finally broke off the engagement, for the Boers were not inclined to follow further.  At about three o’clock our loss in this interesting affair was one officer, Lieutenant John Churchill, and seven men of the South African Light Horse wounded and a few horses.  Thorneycroft’s Mounted Infantry also had two casualties, and there were two more in the Colt detachments.  The Boers were throughout invisible, but two days later when the ground was revisited we found one dead burgher—­so that at any rate they lost more heavily than we.  The Colt guns worked very well, and the effect of the fire of a whole battery of these weapons was a marked diminution in the enemy’s musketry.  They were mounted on the light carriages patented by Lord Dundonald, and the advantage of these in enabling the guns to be run back by hand, so as to avoid exposing the horses, was very obvious.