r to prove that the Boers
purposely picked off our gallant leaders. Of rank and file we lost 37
killed and 175 wounded; while on the enemy's side numbers were again
uncertain, though more than 100 dead bodies were found, and amongst
these that of their commanding officer. Many prisoners were taken, and
one of them proved to be Colonel Schiel, an ex-German officer who had
trained the Transvaal artillerists in the use of cannon.

Two days after the battle of Elandslaagte, Jack was back at Ladysmith,
and having rested his ponies, he managed to secure places in a railway
truck for them, and was rapidly conveyed to Durban. Here he engaged a
passage in a steamer sailing in less than a week for Port Elizabeth,
and, having stabled his ponies, took the train back to 'Maritzburg,
where he called upon the Hunters, and took up his quarters with them for
the short time which intervened before the ship was to sail.

Later on, full particulars from northern Natal reached him, and he
learned with a thrill of pride that despite the numbers of the enemy who
were endeavouring to cut off the troops at Glencoe, the latter had
retired, under the leadership of General Yule, to Ladysmith, making use
of the Helpmakaar road. It had been a dangerous and exceedingly trying
march, and to make it possible all the wounded, including the gallant
General Symons, who subsequently succumbed to his injury, had been left
behind under the red-cross flag and in charge of our own army surgeons.
And the Boers had shown that flag all due respect, and had indeed been
most kind and humane to all our poor fellows.

To aid the retirement, General White had marched from Ladysmith and had
fought an engagement at Reitfontein. Once the forces had joined hands
they fell back on Ladysmith. A series of fiercely--contested
engagements was then fought out, the British troops slowly retiring upon
their camp before the advancing hordes of Boers. An unfortunate
accident during this retirement resulted in the capture, after a gallant
stand, of some thousand of our brave fellows. They lost their way in
the dark, and the mules stampeded with their guns. Still, they occupied
Nicholson's Nek and fought to the bitter end, when, their ammunition
having failed, they were compelled to surrender. On our side many were
killed and wounded, and on the enemy's, the losses were reported to have
been exceptionally severe. But the Boers pressed on, and at length,
after a few days