housands of bullets began pattering about, and their guns
pitched shells all over the place. Where they came from no one
could see till the end. Sir Redvers Buller rode all along the
line, and came in for a good deal of attention from bullets and
shells.

"My first experience was my stick being knocked out of my hand
by a bullet; then a horse beside me was killed by a shell.
About 10 o'clock two batteries which had advanced far too close
ran short of ammunition. Their waggons were about 800 yards
behind, the horses and men sheltering in a deep narrow nullah.
General Buller told them to take the waggons up to the battery,
but instantly they emerged a stream of bullets and shells fell
all round, and most of the men got into the nullah again.
Generals Buller and Cleary stood out in it and said, 'Some of
you go and help Schofield.' A.D.C. Roberts, myself, and two or
three others went to the waggons, and we got two waggons horsed
with the help of a corporal and six gunners. I have never seen
even at field-firing the bullets fly thicker. All one could see
were little tufts of dust all over the ground accompanied by a
whistling noise, 'phut,' where they hit, and an increasing
rattle of musketry somewhere in front.

"My first bullet went through my left sleeve and just made the
point of my elbow bleed. Next a clod of earth caught me a smack
on the other arm; then my horse got one; then my right leg one,
and my horse another. That settled us, for he plunged, and I
fell about 100 yards short of the guns we were going to. A
little nullah was by, and into that I hobbled and sat down. I
had not been in a minute before another bullet hit the toe of
my boot, went into the welt, travelled up, and came out at the
toe-cap, two inches from the end of the toe. It did not even
scratch me, but I shifted my quarters pretty quickly to a
better place, where I found Colonels Hunt and Long, R.A., and a
dozen or so wounded gunners; a doctor, Colonel Bullock, and
about fifteen men of his regiment--all that were left of the
escort and two batteries.

"At about 11 o'clock the fire slackened, and I went out,
finding poor Roberts badly wounded, and with help got him into
the nullah. There we lay from 11 till 4.30: no water, not a
breath of air, no particle of sh