LT

Joubert's boast--The preliminaries of attack--Shells in the town--
A simultaneous advance--Observation Hill threatened--A wary
enemy--A prompt repulse--Attack on Tunnel Hill--The colour-sergeant's
last words--Manchesters under fire--Prone behind boulders--A Royal
salute--The Prince of Wales's birthday--Stretching the Geneva
Convention--The redoubtable Miss Maggie--The Boer Foreign Legion--
Renegade Irishmen--A signal failure 58

CHAPTER VI

A MONTH UNDER SHELL FIRE

The first siege-baby--An Irish-American deserter--A soldierly
grumble--Boer cunning and Staff-College strategy--An ammunition
difficulty--The tireless cavalry--A white flag incident--What
the Boer Commandant understood--The Natal summer--Mere sound
and fury--Boer Sabbatarianism--Naval guns at work--"Puffing
Billy" of Bulwaan--Intrepid Boer gunners--The barking of
"Pom-Poms"--Another reconnaissance--"Like scattered bands of Red
Indians"--A futile endeavour--A night alarm--Recommended for the
V.C.--A man of straw in khaki--The Boer search-light--Shelling
of the hospital--General White protests--The first woman hit--
General Hunter's bravado--"Long Tom" knocked out--A gymkhana
under fire--Faith, Hope, and Charity--Flash signals from the
south--A new Creusot gun 69

CHAPTER VII

THE SORTIES OF DECEMBER

Retribution--Sir Archibald Hunter's bold scheme--A night attack--
Silently through the darkness--At the foot of Gun Hill--A broken
ascent--"Wie kom dar?" "The English are on us!"--Major Henderson
thrice wounded--Destroying "Leviathan"--Hussars suffer under
fire--Rejoicings in town--Sir George White's address to the
troops--Boer compliments--A raid for provender--A second sortie--
The Rifles' bold enterprise--An unwelcome light--Cutting the
wires--Surprise Hill reached--The sentry's challenge--Rifles'
charge with the bayonet--Boer howitzer destroyed--The return to
camp--Cutting the way home--Serious losses 103

CHAPTER VIII

AFTER COLENSO

The Town-Guard called out--Echoes of Colenso--Heliograms from
Buller--The Boers and Dingaan's Day--Disappointing news--Special
correspondents summoned--Victims of the bombardment--Shaving
under shell fire--Tea with Lord Ava--Boer humour: "Where is
Buller?"--Sir George White's narrow escape--A disastrous shot--
Fiftieth day of the siege--Grave and gay--"What does England
think of us?"--Stoical artillerymen-