The bombardment continued for half an hour, the shells being flung sometimes into the trenches, sometimes among the houses of Colenso, and always directed with marvellous accuracy.  At last the guns were covered up again in their tarpaulins, the crowd of military spectators broke up and dispersed amid the tents, and soon it became night.

CHAPTER XIII

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR

Frere:  January 4, 1900.

December 25.—­Christmas Day!  ’Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth, peace and goodwill towards men.’  So no great shells were fired into the Boer entrenchments at dawn, and the hostile camps remained tranquil throughout the day.  Even the pickets forbore to snipe each other, and both armies attended divine service in the morning and implored Heaven’s blessing on their righteous causes.  In the afternoon the British held athletic sports, an impromptu military tournament, and a gymkhana, all of which caused much merriment and diversion, and the Boers profited by the cessation of the shell fire to shovel away at their trenches.  In the evening there were Christmas dinners in our camp—­roast beef, plum pudding, a quart of beer for everyone, and various smoking concerts afterwards.  I cannot describe the enemy’s festivities.

But since that peaceful day we have had desultory picket firing, and the great guns in the naval battery have spoken whenever an opportunity presented itself.  The opposing outpost lines are drawn so far apart that with the best intentions they can scarcely harm each other.  But the long range of the smallbore rifles encourages fancy shooting, so that there is often a brisk fusillade and no one any the worse.  On our side we have only had one infantry soldier wounded.  We do not know what the fortunes of the Boers may have been, but it is probable that they lose a few men every day from the bombardment, and certain that on Monday last there were three burghers killed and several wounded and one horse.  It happened in this wise:  beyond the strong Infantry pickets which remain in position always, there is a more or less extended line of cavalry outposts, which are sprinkled all along the kopjes to the east and west of the camp, and are sometimes nearly three miles from it.  On the Monday in question—­New Year’s Day to wit—­200 Boers set forth and attacked our picket on the extreme right.  The picket, which was composed of the South African Light Horse, fell back with discretion, and the Boers following without their usual caution did not observe that eight troopers had been dropped behind among the rocks and ledges of a donga; so that when twelve of them attempted to make their way up this natural zigzag approach in order to fire upon the retiring picket they were themselves received at 400 yards by a well-directed sputter of musketry, and were glad to make off with five riderless horses, two men upon one horse, and leaving three lying quite still on the ground.  Thereafter the picket continued to retreat unmolested.