in action nearly the
whole of the 18th of October, returned to camp at three in the morning
of the 19th. They were quite worn out and famished, having been for
twenty-four hours without food, and three days and two nights in the
saddle. Considering the excitement and fatigue, they were in excellent
spirits. Their experience was a novel one, for on this occasion the
Boers, who usually prefer to skulk under cover, made incipient rushes
at certain points. They gave way, however, before the pressing
attentions of the Maxims, and fled helter-skelter to cover again; but
their departure was on the principle of "those who fight and run away
live to fight another day." They reserved themselves for a more decisive
effort.

At midday on the 19th a mixed train running from Ladysmith to Dundee was
captured by the enemy about a mile off Elandslaagte Station, which
stands about fifteen miles from Ladysmith, and is the first station from
thence on the line. A war correspondent was taken prisoner, four
Carabineers were wounded, and some horses and cattle seized. Telegraphic
communication in the north was cut off, and four trucks of stores in the
Elandslaagte Station were captured.

THE BATTLE OF GLENCOE

On the night of the 19th, Sir W. Penn Symons discovered that he was
surrounded by the enemy. Three of their columns were converging on his
position--one from the north-west under General Erasmus by the
Dannhauser-Hattingspruit road; one from Utrecht and Vryheid by
Landsman's Drift from the east, under Commandant Lucas Meyer; and a
third under General Viljoen from Waschbank on the south, this latter
being the force which cut through the Ladysmith-Dundee railway.

The Boer plan was to deliver simultaneously different attacks from all
sides of the Glencoe camp. The column under Erasmus was to open the
attack from the north-west, and falling back, was to draw Symons in
pursuit away from his camp. Then Viljoen and Meyer were to close on the
pursuers from either flank and annihilate them.

Fortunately this skilfully-devised programme was not fulfilled. For this
reason: The force under Lucas Meyer was the first to arrive, and its
leader, impatient to secure the glories of war, decided on an
independent course of action. Before the other columns could put in an
appearance he opened the attack. On the hills round Glencoe the Boers
had posted cannon, and from thence at daybreak on the 20th of October
Meyer's gun