t King's Royal Rifles over the boulders
of the kopje.]

[Sidenote: 2nd K.R.R. fills gap between 1st K.R.R. and Leicester
detachment.]

The 2nd King's Royal Rifles, which had lain in support whilst the
front circled round, were now sent to reinforce. Leaving two companies
still in support, the battalion changed front to the right, and,
extending from right to left, filled the gap between the right of the
1st King's Royal Rifles and the detached 2-1/2 companies of the
Leicester regiment. These, with a Maxim, somewhat isolated on the
kopje on what was now the right flank, were beginning to be hotly
engaged.

[Sidenote: The arrival of two companies R.D.F. connects Grimwood with
Cavalry.]

Thus under incessant and increasing fire the 8th brigade swung round,
pivoting on the left company 1st King's Royal Rifles, with the
detachment of the Leicester as "marker," so to speak, to its outer
flank. Two companies of the missing Royal Dublin Fusiliers[129] now
arrived to assist the Leicester, and were immediately assailed by some
sharpshooters who had worked around the right flank. They therefore
prolonged the line to the right, towards the northern spurs of
Lombards Kop, and here about 7 a.m. they joined hands with the
cavalry, whose movements must now be related.

[Footnote 129: See p. 176.]

[Sidenote: French's operations.]

Waiting until the artillery duel seemed to be going in favour of
Downing's batteries, French gave the word for advance about 5.30 a.m.
The 5th Lancers and 19th Hussars, who had been lying in mass in the
hollow, quickly extended in a north-easterly direction, with orders to
work round the Boer left. The route taken by the brigade lay for some
distance within rifle range of the western flank of a line of low
kopjes, which, running down north-east as an irregular spur of
Lombards Kop, and parallel to the Modder Spruit, pointed in the
direction of Long Hill. At the termination of this ridge, the high
ground, dropping sharply to the plain, offered an outlet to the
eastward. For this gateway French's two regiments were making. They
had all but reached it when a sharp blaze of rifles broke from the
kopjes to their right. The squadrons thereupon wheeled to the right,
the troopers dismounted, and running a short way to the new front,
they soon reinforced a ridge, already thinly held by the right of
Grimwood's infantry, from whence they replied to the sharpshooters on
the kopjes beyond. It