could not get to
work; the rise of the ground was so great and we had covered the
position so completely that it was rather dangerous to attempt shelling.
For about two hours there was hot firing, and every now and then there
was a little work for our ambulance people, but not much. The only
noticeable evidence of inexperience on the part of the Yeomanry was that
they did not realise--and no one can realise this when fighting the
Boers for the first time--how great is the enemy's firing range, and how
far away one must keep to be able to live at all. They kept pressing
forward, and Major Streatfeild had to ride across from the General under
a very hot fire to tell them to keep back.

Towards the end of the engagement there was a gap in front of the
artillery position, and the guns spoke. They got the range at once, and
fired three rounds of shrapnel, and a few minutes after the third round
had been fired a white flag was waved from the hill. Silence fell like a
shadow over the place that had been crackling with fire a minute before;
people who had been lying flat on the ground stood up and stretched
themselves; and in the midst of the silence a shot cracked from the
hill, and there was a rush of men towards a prostrate body on our side.
Then another shot cracked--from our side this time; the treacherous
Boer, I was told, fell dead, and the action was over.

We captured fifty-two prisoners, and the Boers had eight killed and six
wounded. No one escaped. They all laid down their arms and surrendered,
handing over also a cart of dynamite. From this it was gathered that
General Villebois (who was killed) had been trying to get behind us to
the railway line near Modder River, where he hoped to destroy it. I
spoke to some of the prisoners next day--Frenchmen, many of them, and
nice enough fellows. I heard then something which gave me pause with
regard to the white flag. When the thing happened it appeared to be a
flagrant and indubitable case of treachery; everyone was speaking of it.
But one of the prisoners, in talking to me, referred to the "rascal" who
showed the flag.

"We had no intention to surrender," he said; "no order was given; that
worm had a flag in his pocket, and he held it up; poor ---- (mentioning
the man who shot and was killed) probably never saw it. It's a wonder
half of us did not go on firing."

I give this statement for what it is worth. "All lies" was the comment
of some of the officers there, and