was a hot place, for as I lay there another bullet hit me in the
shoulder. I crawled as well as I could to a rock, and sitting up
underneath it lit a pipe. Scarcely had I got it to draw when a bullet
dashed it out of my hand, taking a small piece of the top of my thumb
with it. Two men were shot dead so close that they fell across my
legs, effectually pinning me to the ground, while two more were
wounded and fell alongside of me. At this juncture Colour-Sergeants
Guilfoyle (now Sergeant-Major) and James dashed out of cover, and,
picking me up, carried me to a more sheltered position, whence I could
see what was going on all round, without myself being seen.' He was
left at Dundee with the wounded, and subsequently taken to Pretoria
with other prisoners of war.

Whilst the men and officers were thus recovering their breath for a
renewed attack, a large number were undoubtedly hit by our own
shrapnel, as they clung closely to the hillside to avoid coming under
fire from the enemy, who still held the top. It was imperative to draw
our gunners' attention to their situation, to effect which purpose, an
intrepid signaller, Private Flynn, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, jumped
up, and at the imminent risk of his own life freely exposed himself in
his endeavour to 'call up' the guns. Finding, after repeated attempts,
that he could not attract their attention, he boldly walked back down
the hillside, torn as it was by mauser fire, and personally delivered
his message, a glorious and courageous example of that devotion to
duty which proved so strongly marked a characteristic of our N.C.O.'s
and privates throughout the war.

Major English now extricated his company from the donga and managed to
reach the second wall, where he collected all available men, including
'F' and 'G' companies, and maintained an incessant fire on Dundee and
Talana Hills. The artillery behind had never slackened in their
efforts to support the infantry, and their shrapnel searched the whole
length of the crest line. This combined fire began at last to tell.
The rattle of the enemy's musketry, which had lasted since 6.30 a.m.,
gradually grew feebler, until about 1 p.m. our infantry made a second
dash across the wall and this time reached the top of the hill. Below
them they saw the stream of flying Boers hurrying across the veld. It
was the moment for a vigorous outburst of musketry, but 'some one
blundered,' and the fleeting moment sped without being taken advant