as they were
full of pathos! For instance, when the clamour of battle was at its
loudest, when no voice of officer could be heard, and the stricken
Highlanders were groaning in heaps upon the blistering veldt, Corporal
M'Kay, of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, standing in the midst
of the cyclone of lead, struck up "The Campbells are coming" in order to
rally the unfortunate men. These, jaded and broken as they were, drew
taut their aching limbs, and, reviving with the heartening strains, once
more dragged themselves towards the whirlwind of lead, determining once
more either to do or to die.

The desperate situation in which the Highlanders were placed may also be
pictured from descriptions given by two more of their ill-starred
number.

The first wrote:--

"At twelve o'clock we started to advance. Well, we got to
within 500 yards of the position, and if ever a man was led
into a death-trap my regiment was. We led the brigade. Our
general must have been under the impression that the Boers had
left the hill, for he had us up in mass of quarter column. When
we got within 500 yards they opened fire at us. My God, I shall
never forget it in my life. It was terrible, fearful; we were
shot down like dogs, without a chance to return their fire. The
groans of those hit sound in my ears yet, and will do for many
years to come. Well, as soon as they opened fire we fell flat,
and got the order to fix bayonets and charge. We did so. The
Black Watch only got into their trenches, and I am happy to
tell you my bayonet has still got on it the stain of a Boer's
blood. Not having any support from any other regiment, we got
the order to retire to 400 yards, and I can tell you there were
not many who got into the trenches who ever left them. There is
hardly any man in the regiment that has any part of his
equipment left whole. I have three holes in my kilt."

The second corroborated the above statement:--

"The Black Watch in front made an attempt to charge the
position, but we had to retire and simply run for it, the enemy
blazing at us all the way and dropping our fellows like
skittles from their splendid positions. There was nothing for
it but to lie down and pretend to be dead, and this I did about
5.30 A.M. till I suppose 6 P.M., the sun pouring down on me all
the time, and not a drink of water al