the scene not long before of a successful action by Methuen.  Here he was joined by Shekleton’s Mounted Infantry, and his whole force consisted of these, with the 1st Imperial Light Horse, the 6th Imperial Bushmen, the New Zealanders, a squadron of the 14th Hussars, a wing each of the Somerset Light Infantry and of the Welsh Fusiliers, with Carter’s guns and four pom-poms.  With this mobile and formidable little force Babington pushed on in search of Smuts and De la Rey, who were known to be in the immediate neighbourhood.

As a matter of fact the Boers were not only there, but were nearer and in greater force than had been anticipated.  On the 22nd three squadrons of the Imperial Light Horse under Major Briggs rode into 1500 of them, and it was only by virtue of their steadiness and gallantry that they succeeded in withdrawing themselves and their pom-pom without a disaster.  With Boers in their front and Boers on either flank they fought an admirable rearguard action.  So hot was the fire that A squadron alone had twenty-two casualties.  They faced it out, however, until their gun had reached a place of safety, when they made an orderly retirement towards Babington’s camp, having inflicted as heavy a loss as they had sustained.  With Elandslaagte, Waggon Hill, the relief of Mafeking, Naauwpoort, and Haartebeestefontein upon their standards, the Imperial Light Horse, should they take a permanent place in the Army List, will start with a record of which many older regiments might be proud.

If the Light Horse had a few bad hours on March 22nd at the hands of the Boers, they and their colonial comrades were soon able to return the same with interest.  On March 23rd Babington moved forward through Kafir Kraal, the enemy falling back before him.  Next morning the British again advanced, and as the New Zealanders and Bushmen, who formed the vanguard under Colonel Gray, emerged from a pass they saw upon the plain in front of them the Boer force with all its guns moving towards them.  Whether this was done of set purpose or whether the Boers imagined that the British had turned and were intending to pursue them cannot now be determined, but whatever the cause it is certain that for almost the first time in the campaign a considerable force of each side found themselves in the open and face to face.

It was a glorious moment.  Setting spurs to their horses, officers and men with a yell dashed forward at the enemy.  One of the Boer guns unlimbered and attempted to open fire, but was overwhelmed by the wave of horsemen.  The Boer riders broke and fled, leaving their artillery to escape as best it might.  The guns dashed over the veld in a mad gallop, but wilder still was the rush of the fiery cavalry behind them.  For once the brave and cool-headed Dutchmen were fairly panic-stricken.  Hardly a shot was fired at the pursuers, and the riflemen seem to have been only too happy to save their own skins.  Two field guns, one pom-pom, six maxims, fifty-six wagons and 140 prisoners were the fruits of that one magnificent charge, while fifty-four stricken Boers were picked up after the action.  The pursuit was reluctantly abandoned when the spent horses could go no farther.