ad driven
them, and, moreover, were almost out of range of our guns. And we were
unable to bring our field-pieces any nearer because our gunners would
have been exposed to the enemy's rifle fire.

Our Krupps made good practice on the four English guns which had been
stationed on the river bank to the south. Up till now these had kept up
a terrific fire on our guns, but we soon drove them across the river, to
seek protection behind the mountain. I despatched General Froneman to
hold the river bank, and the _sluit_[17] which descended to the river
from the north. While carrying out this order he was exposed to a heavy
fire from the enemy's western wing, which was located in the
above-mentioned ravine, but he succeeded in reaching the river under
cover of the guns. Once there, the enemy's artillery made it impossible
for him to move.

And now a curious incident occurred! A falcon, hovering over the heads
of our burghers in the _sluit_, was hit by a bullet from one of the
shrapnel shells and fell dead to the ground in the midst of the men. It
was already half-past four, and we began to ask ourselves how the affair
would end. At this juncture I received a report from a burgher, whom I
had placed on the eastern side of the mountain to watch the movements of
the English at the Modder River. He told me that a mountain corps, eight
hundred to a thousand men strong, was approaching us with two guns, with
the intention, as it appeared, of outflanking us. I also learnt that
eighty of my men had retreated. I had stationed them that morning on a
hillock three miles to the east of the mountain, my object being to
prevent General French from surrounding us.

It now became necessary to check the advance of this mountain corps. But
how? There were only thirty-six men at my disposal. The other burghers
were in positions closer to the enemy, and I could not withdraw them
without exposing them too seriously to the bullets of the English. There
was nothing for it, but that I with my thirty-six burghers should attack
the force which threatened us.

We rushed down the mountain and jumping on our horses, galloped against
the enemy. When we arrived at the precipice which falls sheer from the
mountain, the English were already so near that our only course was to
charge them.

In front of us there was a plain which extended for some twelve hundred
paces to the foot of an abrupt rise in the ground. This we fortunately
reached before the Engli