while the heliograph flashed its call for
help. Weldon grumbled low into Carew's ear, as the minutes dragged
themselves along, broken only by indeterminate volleys.

"I have exactly five rounds left," he said at length. "I believe in
obedience, Carew; but, when I get this used up, by jingo, I'll pitch
into those fellows on my own account."

"Keep cool," Carew advised him temperately. "You always were a
thriftless fellow; you must have been wasting your fire. Oh, I say,
what's the row in the rear?"

"The column, most likely. It's time, too. Those fellows would be on
us in a minute. Ah ha!" And Weldon drew a quick breath of
admiration, as the guns came up at the gallop under the watchful eye
of the Imperial Yeomanry.

Once in position on a rise to the left, quickly the guns unlimbered
and opened fire, while the sergeants gathered around the boxes of
spare cartridges on the ground beside the panting ammunition horse.
Then at last came the order for the advance, the order so eagerly
awaited by Weldon, maddened by his long exposure to the bullets of
his unseen foe. In extended order, the squadrons galloped forward
until their goal was a scant five hundred yards away, when of a
sudden a murderous fire broke out from the rocks in front of them,
emptying many a saddle and dropping many a horse. Under such
conditions, safety lay only in an unswerving charge.

Close on their leaders' heels, the troopers spurred forward and,
revolver in right hand, rifle in left, they charged over the
remaining bit of ground and into the midst of the Boer position.
Briton and Boer met, face to face. Revolvers cracked; Boers dropped.

Mausers crashed; Britons fell. And then, through and over, the
British charge had passed.

Even then Weldon found no place for pause. From behind the Boer
position, a band of their reinforcements came galloping down upon
him. Caught between the two lines, the squadrons wheeled about, fell
again upon the broken enemy, dashed through them and, amid the
leaden hail, retired upon their own guns. And now once more the
gunners could reopen fire, and the shells dropped thick and fast.
The moment for a general advance had come. In open order, a thousand
men dashed forward and reached the ridge, only to see the retiring
foe galloping away in all directions across the open veldt. A halt
was ordered, to rest the winded mounts. Pickets were thrown out on
front and flank, while the British awaited their approaching convo