cavalry with whom Jack and Farney had thrown
in their lot had been quietly walking their horses round the shoulder of
the hill. As the infantry lay down for the last time before the charge,
Colonel Moller, who was in command, gave the order to trot, and the
little column swept round the shoulder, a Maxim gun on a galloping
carriage trundling along in the centre. Arrived in sight of the reverse
side of the hill, they halted for a few moments and waited for the
flight of the Boers. Already they were retiring in ones and twos, but a
minute later they came in a swarm.

"Draw swords! Trot! Charge! At them, my lads!" came in quick, sharp
tones, and in a second the horsemen had opened out, and were going
pell-mell across the open space.

Jack was close to Farney, and as, like the mounted infantry, neither
possessed a sword, they had fixed their bayonets on their rifles, and
holding the latter close to the lock, with the bayonet well advanced,
prepared to use them as lances.

A moment later they were amongst the flying enemy, bullets singing about
their heads and knocking men out of their saddles. But all the time the
sabres were flashing fiercely in the sunlight, and Jack and his friend
were using their bayonets to advantage. It was a wild ten minutes, and
what happened during that time Jack never knew. Almost before he had
expected it, Boers rose up in front of him and fired point-blank in his
face. One bullet actually grazed his forehead and sent his hat flying,
while another smashed his water-bottle to pieces. But he knew nothing
about it at the time. Gripping Prince firmly with his knees, and
keeping him well in hand, he leant forward in the saddle prepared to act
at any moment. Suddenly a huge, bearded Boer stood in his way,
half-hidden by a boulder, and, waiting till Jack was almost on him,
pulled his trigger. What happened to the bullet Jack never knew;
probably it went beneath his arm, for he found a slit in the sleeve
after the fight was over, but the concussion and flash of light almost
blinded him. Next moment with a hitch at the reins and a touch with his
leg, given almost unconsciously, he was round the boulder and had
plunged his bayonet into the Boer's body.

Then he dashed on and set his pony full-tilt at three of the enemy who
were standing close together and emptying their magazines into the
troopers. One he despatched with his bayonet, a second was knocked
senseless by Prince's shoulder,