n support; and a
patrol of Rimington's Guides scouted on the left flank.

[Sidenote: Vigorous resistance by Albrecht.]

At first his men were little exposed to fire, but when they reached
the neighbourhood of Fraser's farm they found the enemy prepared for
them. A storm of bullets, and of inverted shrapnel from Albrecht's
guns[176] (at the spot where these guns are shown 500 yards north-west
of the bridge), fell upon them as they endeavoured to cross long
hedges of prickly pear, and to climb through strong wire fences. Nor
were other Boer artillerymen, posted close to the railway station,
unobservant of the British flanking movement. Their shells fell thick
among the ranks of the detachment, while the burghers in the trenches
on the south side of the river, turning their aim from the right and
centre of the 9th brigade, poured their fire against those who were
the more dangerous enemy, because threatening to cut off their
retreat. The Brigadier had expected that the party of Argyll and
Sutherland Highlanders, placed in the donga on the left bank of the
river, would have kept these Boers in check by flanking fire; but
owing to a mistake either in the delivery, or in the interpretation,
of an order, the officers had brought their men across the Riet and
had joined in the advance along the right bank.

[Footnote 176: Major Albrecht fought his guns with great
determination; his infantry escort, according to Boer
accounts, retreated when they saw the advance of the British,
and his ammunition was almost exhausted, but his gunners
stood their ground.]

[Sidenote: Pole-Carew is obliged to fall back to Rosmead.]

[Sidenote: Nov. 28th/99.]

[Sidenote: Lord Methuen being wounded command devolves on Colvile.]

Captain Forestier-Walker, who was now in action with the section of
the 18th battery near the farm which had been carried earlier in the
day by the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, vigorously shelled the
trees and brushwood in front of our men as they advanced, but his
efforts were much hampered by the fact that the undergrowth was so
thick that it was impossible to see exactly how far forward they were.
All attempts to establish communication by signal, between the officer
commanding the 9th brigade and the troops on the south side of the
river, failed. The attack broke down from want of strength to drive it
home, and the baffled troops sullenly fell back to Rosmead.