s once a day.

[Illustration: Bringing Wounded Back Into Ladysmith.]

We pushed on, and in the distance could hear the report of cannon. We
soon discovered a little artillery duel in progress between the Natal
battery and the Boer guns. The Natals were barking away pluckily, but
quite ineffectually against their very superior opponents, who were
making really excellent practice, and they struck an artillery waggon,
blowing it to pieces, and missed the artillery train by barely twenty
yards, a shell falling on either side of it. It was clear we could
remain here no longer, so the order was given to retire. The guns
limbered up, leaving the shattered wreck of the waggon behind, and the
trains commenced to move back slowly, keeping pace with the cavalry
and artillery. The Boer guns kept firing until out of range, and then
there was a desultory pitter-patter of rifle fire at a sufficient
distance to be completely ineffectual.

We retired back just behind Modder's Spruit Station and rested there.
The sun had now broken through the clouds and poured down hot on the
yellow veldt, where we were. A beautiful scene stretched away before
us. The veldt was not all yellow, but in low-lying places, after the
recent rain, was beginning to be streaked with vivid green. Opposite
us, across the flat or gently undulating veldt in the middle distance,
were hills and kopjes, while beyond, purple under clouds or light blue
in sunshine, rose to the far horizon mountains, pointed, or of that
quite flat-topped shape so characteristic of this country.

No one who has been through this day can ever forget the beautiful
series of military tableaux, the gorgeous colouring, the constantly
varying effects of light and shade, under clear, blue sky, or when
piles of great white cumuli were passing, until, darkening with the
progress of the fight, an unnatural gloom blackened the heavens, and
from the inky clouds torrents of rain poured upon the combatants. The
variety of colour, light, and shade was only equalled by the variety of
the military movements during the day. A complete series of sketches or
photographs would serve for illustrations for a handbook of modern
tactics--the reconnaissance in force in the morning--engagement--orderly
retreat carried out exactly according to book--march out of main body;
advance of main body, cavalry on each flank, skirmishing outflanking
movement on the right, etc., etc., on to the cavalry charging through
and