tinued to shell the buildings and the river-banks near the railway
bridge. During the course of the afternoon Colonel Hall, commanding
the artillery, had received a welcome reinforcement of four guns of
the 62nd battery, under Major E. J. Granet. The 62nd, which had been
left to guard the Orange River bridge, received orders late on the
26th to leave two guns at that camp, and proceed with all speed to
rejoin Lord Methuen's division. Owing to a deficiency in rolling
stock, no railway transport was available, and it became necessary for
the battery to march the whole way. Starting at 10 a.m. on the 27th,
Major Granet reached Belmont, thirty miles distant, at dusk. He halted
there till 6 a.m. on the 28th, when, escorted by twenty-five of the
Royal Munster Fusiliers mounted infantry, he marched to Honey Nest
Kloof, where he decided to water and feed his horses. He had but just
halted, when a message reached him that there was fighting on the Riet
river and that guns and ammunition were urgently required there. He
started immediately, and despite the heavy ground over which he had to
pass, reached the battlefield a little after 2 p.m. In twenty-eight
hours the 62nd battery had covered sixty-two miles, at the expense of
six horses which fell dead in the traces, and of about forty more,
which never recovered from the fatigue of this forced march. The
battery was first sent to the left to support the advance up the north
bank of the river, but before it had opened fire, Colonel Hall ordered
Major Granet more to the eastward, as he was afraid that the shells
might fall among the detachment during its progress through the trees
and brushwood which concealed its movements. At 2.45 p.m., the 62nd
came into action 1,200 yards from the south bank, behind a swell in
the ground which covered the gunners from the waist downwards. Its
fire, aimed first at the north bank, was distributed laterally, and
then for depth, with good results, as the enemy's musketry slackened,
and numbers of men were seen stealing away. About 5 p.m., to support
the projected attack by the Guards, the battery was moved close to a
sandpit on the west of the railway, where it was joined by the section
of the 18th from the left of the line.

[Sidenote: Colvile breaks off the fight.]

After considerable delay, caused by the difficulty of sending
messages across the shot-swept plain, Major-General Colvile was
informed that Lord Methuen had been wounded, and that th