ruth, were I another
Virgil and a scribe of verse, not unheroic prose, I might well have
started this little account with

"I sing of arms and of heroes."

The getting away of the transport was a desperate affair; the niggers
scooted, and amid the roar of the field guns, pom-poms, maxims and
rifles, which between the hills was terrific, the mules stampeded.
Officers, conductors and troopers rode after the runaways, and, under
threats of shooting if they didn't, compelled the niggers to return with
the mules. Chief amongst the Yeomanry who distinguished themselves that
day, was Sergeant Pullar, who rode after the retiring convoy, called
for, and returned with volunteers to the camp and helped with the guns
and ammunition, and in various other ways. At last the Boers swarmed
into the camp and our guns, turning on it, shelled it, containing as it
did, friend and foe alike, a regrettable but absolutely necessary
measure. Then our force retiring down the valley to Rietfontein fought a
fierce rearguard action, the Dorset Yeomanry under Sir Elliot Lees and
the remnants of the Fifes and Devons forming the rear screen, supported
by Kitchener's and Roberts' Horse, mostly dismounted, and the guns.
During this retirement, which I have heard wrongly ascribed to the M.I.,
Sir Elliot and his orderly, Ingram, of the Dorsets, on one occasion
finding that two dismounted Yeomen had been left behind on a recently
abandoned kopje, gallantly rode back and bore them away on their horses
into comparative safety.[7] The artillery were grand, as ever, and in
spite of killed and wounded gunners and great losses in the teams, saved
their guns and used them to effect. At six o'clock on Friday morning the
rearguard entered camp at Rietfontein. Our casualties--killed, wounded
and missing, are 640, while it is stated and believed that the enemy's
losses were even more severe. It seems a strange coincidence that
exactly this time a year ago at home in dear old England we were going
through the black Stormberg and Colenso week, and Christmastide was
coming to many a sorrowing home.

[Footnote 7: For his share in this gallant deed, Ingram was
promoted by the C.-in-C. to Corporal. Several of the Devons
and Fifes were subsequently mentioned in despatches. Sergeant
Pullar was persuaded to accept a commission, as also were
Sergeant-Majors Gordon and Cave. All three being excellent
soldiers and popula