rattle of the
gun-carriages, like a running accompaniment of rifle fire; the jingle
of the harness; the splendid, strenuous, willing pull of the horses
straining against their collars. They know all about it, these
bright-eyed beasts quivering with life and work, and want no whip or
spur until the work of tugging over the broken ground under a
sweltering sun staggers them under the strain.

There could not have been a more beautiful day than that of
Elandslaagte for watching the gunners in action. Before the main part
of the action was entered on, two batteries were ordered to reply to
some fire coming from the left of our line of advance. They went
forward at the gallop, bounding, jolting, and swaying over the uneven
veldt, and, on a slight rise of ground showing out against the deep
blue background of some hills, unlimbered and opened fire. A few
horsemen were seen galloping over the ridge of a hill in front, and
that was all. Then they limbered up and were ordered across to our
right; a low but steep little embankment of the narrow-gauge railway
was in front of them. It was a pretty sight to see them negotiating
this obstacle--the jolting of the springless wheels up and down the
stony sides and across the rails on top ought to have been enough to
shake the teeth out of the men sitting on the limbers, and gripping
hard to keep their seats. By the way, how loudly the nether part of a
gunner's anatomy must sometimes cry out for a cushion!

No sooner had they got clear of this jump than the Boer guns opened
and began to make excellent practice. How every gunner felt longing to
reply and silence them! Bang, burst, or spinning with whizzing hops,
the shells came dropping in rapid succession. The Boers had been
careful to get the exact range the previous day, and were not now
wasting time or ammunition. Our guns had to go up a sloping depression
at right angles to the Boer fire before getting into a position for
opening. Every instant was of value, as the Boer shells were now
dropping amongst the Imperial Light Horse and the infantry, who were
just beginning to deploy. Under whip and spur they galloped up the
slope--Gad! it was a sight to see how these artillery horses pulled;
there was no taxpayers' money wasted there. One drops down, and the
sharpness with which he is replaced by one of the spare horses would
have drawn ringing rounds of applause at an Islington tournament. They
take up a position at the top of the risi