nd of hazardous work that he enjoyed. But
by this time the fuse was burning brightly, and the Highlanders fell
back, having placed a heavy charge of gun-cotton in the breech of the
Creuzot gun.

Five minutes later there was a loud report, and the breech had been
blown to atoms and the rifling destroyed.

But it must not be supposed that all this time the sortie party had been
left undisturbed. On the contrary, a dash, which had at first been
merely in the nature of a gallant attempt to destroy a gun which had
annoyed the garrison in the camp below, had now developed into a sharp
affair. Recovering from their first surprise, the Boers on the left of
the hill had leapt from their hard couches, and had moved upwards
against the British troops in extended order. Soon their bullets began
to swish close to the gun, and one or two of the Highlanders were
wounded. But the others lay down behind boulders, and soon their rifle
fire was answering the flashes below.

Immediately the fuse had become fairly alight the officer drew off his
men, and, carrying the wounded, moved down the hill towards the camp. A
minute later and Mrs Robb and her child were in the centre.

"Look out, sir!" the sergeant shouted at this moment; "they've got
between us and the camp!"

"Then are you ready with those bayonets?" Rawlings cried cheerfully.
"Charge right through them!"

Five minutes of wild, fierce fighting followed, for British troops,
whether English, Irish, or Scotch, are perfect demons when their blood
is roused and they are armed with that deadly weapon which none know
better how to use. It seems to be an understood thing with them that,
however much firing of guns there may be, and however thickly the
bullets may fly, matters are not satisfactory and ended as they should
be unless the bugle sounds "the charge", and they rush with a cheer and
hurl themselves upon the enemy.

The brave Highlanders, with their kilts blowing from side to side,
rushed headlong at the Boers, and simply split them into two parties.
Then they turned upon each one, and with a savage fierceness and a
splendid disregard of the danger they incurred, forged a way into them
and thrust them back at the points of the murderous bayonets.

Prominent amongst them was the giant who had ended Hans Schloss's
career, and by his side, using a bayonet which he had taken from a
wounded soldier, was Jack Somerton, using it too with a vigour and a
quickness which se