h rolls about the southern
buttresses of the Biggarsberg. At 6 a.m., October 24th, the vanguard
was at the Waschbank river, some thirteen miles from Beith, and on its
southern bank the troops were allowed to bivouac, the rearguard
closing up at 10 a.m., after ten weary hours' marching.

[Sidenote: Yule, Oct. 24th, moves to sound of guns.]

As they halted, heavy and prolonged reports of artillery sounded from
the westward. It was evident that Sir G. White was fighting an action
upon the flank near Elandslaagte or Modder Spruit, and, in response to
the urgent request of his senior officers, Yule determined to despatch
at once a portion of his command to co-operate. Yule himself, though
now almost prostrate with illness and fatigue, rode out westward at
the head of the 67th and 69th field batteries, two squadrons 18th
Hussars, and two companies M.I. The remainder of the troops were left
by the Waschbank under command of Lieut.-Col. Carleton, Royal Irish
Fusiliers, who took up a defensive position on the northern bank.

[Sidenote: Yule recrosses Waschbank Oct. 24th.]

Yule moved rapidly westwards over the shadeless tract lying between
the Sunday's and Waschbank rivers. Nine miles his mounted men pressed
towards the sound of the guns, but still the most advanced scouts saw
nothing, and when, about 2 p.m., the noise of the firing, still far
ahead, began to die away, he gave the order to retire to the
Waschbank. His men were back in bivouac at 4 p.m. No sooner had the
infantry from the height above filed over the muddy pools than a
storm, which had been gathering all day in the terrible heat, burst,
and cooled the sun-baked ground with a waterspout of rain. The
Waschbank, which had all but perished in the drought, in less than an
hour rose from three inches to a height of twelve feet of roaring
water, thirty-five yards in breadth. The rearmost infantry plunged
hurriedly across before it had attained its strength. A piquet of the
Royal Dublin Fusiliers, and a patrol of the 18th Hussars, who had
covered the passage, found themselves cut off, and remained long on
the enemy's side of the river.

[Sidenote: Oct. 25 Yule gets touch with White.]

At 4 a.m. on the 25th the march was resumed along the southern and
least direct[101] of the two routes, which bifurcate at the Waschbank.
At 8.30 a.m. the advance guard was at and over Sunday's river, seven
miles further on, the rearguard crossing by the steep drift at noon,
and here