nt him, he had wanted
to send others himself. The fight had been too hot, too close, too
interlaced for him to attend to anything, but to support this company,
clear those rocks, or line that trench. So, having heard nothing and
expecting no guns, he had decided to retire. As he put it tersely:
'Better six good battalions safely down the hill than a mop up in the
morning.' Then we came home, drawing down our rearguard after us very
slowly and carefully, and as the ground grew more level the regiments
began to form again into their old solid blocks.

Such was the fifth of the series of actions called the Battle of Spion
Kop. It is an event which the British people may regard with feelings
of equal pride and sadness. It redounds to the honour of the soldiers,
though not greatly to that of the generals. But when all that will be
written about this has been written, and all the bitter words have been
said by the people who never do anything themselves, the wise and just
citizen will remember that these same generals are, after all, brave,
capable, noble English gentlemen, trying their best to carry through a
task which may prove to be impossible, and is certainly the hardest ever
set to men.

The Lancashire Fusiliers, the Imperial Light Infantry--whose baptism of
fire it was--Thorneycroft's, and the Middlesex Regiment sustained the
greater part of the losses.

We will have another try, and, if it pleases God, do better next time.

CHAPTER XVIII

THROUGH THE FIVE DAYS' ACTION

Venter's Spruit: January 25, 1900.

The importance of giving a general and comprehensive account of the late
actions around and on Spion Kop prevented me from describing its scenes
and incidents. Events, like gentlemen at a levee, in these exciting days
tread so closely on each other's heels that many pass unnoticed, and
most can only claim the scantiest attention. But I will pick from the
hurrying procession a few--distinguished for no other reason than that
they have caught my eye--and from their quality the reader may judge of
the rest.

The morning of the 20th discovered the cavalry still encamped behind the
hills near the Acton Homes road, on which they had surprised the Boers
two days before. The loud and repeated discharge of the artillery
advised us that the long-expected general action had begun. What part
were the cavalry to play? No orders had been sent to Lord Dundonald
except that he was to cover the left flank of the inf