ured, the
situation was revolutionised. They saw that we had found their flank,
and thoroughly appreciated the significance and value of the long high
wedge of ground, which cut right across the left of their positions, and
seemed to stretch away almost to Bulwana Mountain. They knew perfectly
well that if we advanced by our right along the line of this ridge,
which they called 'the Bush Kop,' supporting ourselves by it as a man
might rest his hand on a balustrade, we could turn their Pieters
position just as we had already turned their entrenchments at Colenso.

Therein lay the true reason of their retirement, and in attributing it
either to Lord Roberts's operations or to the beating we had given them
on the 18th we made a mistake, which was not repaired until much blood
had been shed.

I draw a rough diagram to assist the reader who will take the trouble to
study the map. It is only drawn from memory, and its object is to show
how completely the Monte Cristo ridge turned both the line of
entrenchments through Colenso and that before Pieters. But no diagrams,
however exaggerated, would convince so well as would the actual ground.

[Illustration: Plan of the Colenso Position.]

In the belief, however, that the enemy were in retreat the General
resolved to cross the river at A by a pontoon bridge and follow the
railway line. On the 21st, therefore, he moved his army westward across
the Hlangwani plateau, threw his bridge, and during the afternoon passed
his two leading infantry brigades over it. As soon as the Boers
perceived that he had chosen this line of advance their hopes revived.
'Oh,' we may imagine them saying, 'if you propose to go that way, things
are not so bad after all.' So they returned to the number of about nine
thousand burghers, and manned the trenches of the Pieters position, with
the result that Wynne's Lancashire Brigade, which was the first to
cross, soon found itself engaged in a sharp action among the low-kopjes,
and suffered a hundred and fifty casualties, including its General,
before dark. Musketry fire was continuous throughout the night. The 1st
Cavalry Brigade had been brought in from Springfield on the 20th, and on
the morning of the 22nd both the Regular and Irregular Cavalry were to
have crossed the river. We accordingly marched from our camp at the neck
between Cingolo and Monte Cristo and met the 1st Cavalry Brigade, which
had come from Chievejey, at the pontoon bridge. A brisk acti