huen's despatch,
it seems that before moving off Major-General Wauchope explained all
that was to be done, and the particular part each battalion was to play
in the scheme: namely, that they were to march direct on the south-west
spur of the kopje, and on arrival near the objective before daybreak the
Black Watch were to move to the east of the kopje, where he believed the
enemy to be posted under shelter, while the Seaforth Highlanders were to
march straight to the south-east point of the kopje, with the Argyll and
Sutherland Highlanders prolonging the line to the left; the Highland
Light Infantry to be in reserve until the action was developed. The
brigade was to march in mass of quarter columns, the four battalions
keeping touch, and, if necessary, ropes were to be used for the left
guides. The three battalions were to extend just before daybreak, two
companies in firing line, two companies in support, and four companies
in reserve, all at five paces interval between them.

Soon after midnight the march began. The distance was only two and a
half miles, and daybreak was due about 3.25 A.M. But the gruesome night
rendered the progress of the troops unusually slow. Rain came down in
torrents, thunder growled, lightning played over the hill, glinted on
rifles, and disorganised the compasses by which Major Benson was
steering his course. Towards dawn the gloom of Erebus seemed to deepen
rather than lift, and in the obscurity they must have been quite unaware
of the exceedingly close proximity of the enemy, for the Highland
Brigade--in the following order, Black Watch, Seaforths, Argyll and
Sutherland, and Highland Light Infantry--continued to approach in
quarter column though within some two hundred yards of the Boer
entrenchments. It was imagined that the Dutchmen were in force on a
kopje on the other side of the veldt, and not a soul suspected the
existence of the formidable line of intrenchments on which our soldiers
were gaily advancing. Before they could discover their mistake they were
greeted by the Dutchmen--who had allowed the brigade to approach without
showing any signs of life--with a raking fire on their flanks. The whole
hill seemed on the instant to become alive with the roar of musketry.
Fire vomited as from a live volcano at their very feet. A moment before
they had seen only a dark barrier of bush and shrub, and then, flash!
the earth yawned, crackled, and emitted the flame of hell.

[Illustration: BAT