ere assailed from thence by such galling shell and rifle fire
that they were eventually forced to retire.

On the extreme right, the mounted troops, under Lord Dundonald, made a
vigorous attack at the Hlangwane Hill, on which was posted the Boer
pieces which had wrought such devastation among the British batteries.
However, in advancing up the valley, they were outflanked by the Boers,
and had eventually to retire under a storm of bullets. The irregulars,
for their part, worked splendidly. The South African Horse advanced on
the front under a heavy shell fire. Thorneycroft's Horse, the Natal
Carabineers, the Imperial Light Horse, and the Mounted Infantry at the
same time attempted the flanking attack; but the Boer lines, which ran
along some high ground to the right of the flanking party, defeated
their best efforts. Owing to the bad light, and to the fact that the
Boers used smokeless powder, their fire failed to reveal their position,
and the discomfort of the attacking party was considerable.

Meanwhile the 7th Battery, which was with Lord Dundonald, kept shelling
Hlangwane and Fort Wylie in turns, the latter being done in order to
assist the general advance. About noon Lord Dundonald was ordered to
retire. This, however, was immediately impossible. So soon as the men
began to move they became targets for the foe. Many of the men were
reluctant to retire at all, and were pressing in their desire to still
"have a go" at the enemy. The retirement at last, after a two hours'
struggle, was accomplished without undue loss. The 7th Battery, under
command of Major Henshaw, made splendid practice. During the engagement
Lord Dundonald sent a team of gun and waggon horses, under Captain Reed,
to assist the 14th and 66th Batteries to recover their guns. Captain
Reed returned to the 7th Battery, and though he came back with a bullet
in his leg, he insisted on remaining with it until he was ordered back
to camp.

Generals Buller and Clery were ubiquitous, riding coolly about and
directing where the hurricane of lead was thickest, and running risks
which rendered all who saw them anxious for their safety. Indeed, as
some one remarked, one would have thought they were lieutenants trying
to make a name, and not generals with the responsibility of an army on
their minds. The loss of either of these prominent officers would have
been counted by the Boers as a sign of victory, and therefore, when one
was hit in the side and another i