f capturing or putting out of action at close
quarters the Boer big gun which could not be dealt with by our
shell-fire. This was now to be done. The Creusot gun just mounted
on Gun Hill, which like its neighbours had been given a name and
endowed with a personality by the nimble-witted among the garrison,
was to pay the penalty of its crimes, and the enterprise of which
this was the result formed one of the most brilliant incidents in
the history of the siege.

Probably (writes Mr. Pearse) no corps within our lines has been more
deliberately shelled than the Imperial Light Horse, who were driven out
of one camp by "Long Tom" of Pepworth's Hill, only to pitch their tents
by the river bank within sight of "Puffing Billy's" gunners, who had got
the range from Bulwaan to a nicety, so that they could pitch shell after
shell into the new encampment. Even their "Long Tom" also still pounded
at them by way of varying the monotony of a daily duel with our naval
guns. But the most annoying fire of all came from the newly-mounted
6-inch Creusot on Little Bulwaan, which, for the sake of distinction, is
known officially as Gun Hill, in front of Lombard's Kop. Having an
effective range that enables it to search with shell every part of our
camp that is visible, this weapon fired first in one direction, then in
another, changing its aim so frequently that nobody could predict where
the next shell might fall until it came hurtling through the air, in
dangerous proximity, with a sound that suggests the half-throttled
scream of a steam siren, and it generally finished, as it began, with a
few shots at the Imperial Light Horse, or their near neighbours the
Gordon Highlanders.

I do not know whether the idea of putting an end to the career of this
worrying monster originated at headquarters, or grew out of the wish,
frequently expressed by Imperial Light Horse and Natal Volunteers, to
"have a go" at the enemy's guns--Sir George White has given the credit
to General Sir Archibald Hunter, and such an enterprise is worthy of
the man who stormed the Dervish stronghold at Abu Hamed, and led his
troops up to the flame of rifle fire that fringed Mahmud's zeriba on the
Atbara. He kept the whole scheme so secret that he did not even let his
aide-de-camp know anything about it until some time after dinner last
night. Then he sent round a brief message to Colonel Royston commanding
the Volunteer Forces of Natal, a