lost. Then Madocks, hearing the outburst on the further side
from him, took a few of his men and hurried round to assist, appearing
amongst the Yorkshire just as the enemy were all but into them.
Rallying the soldiers, and perceiving the Boers a few yards away
behind the rocks, he immediately ordered a charge, and followed by a
few, cleared the enemy out of the nearer of the two abandoned sangars.
The Boers continued to shoot rapidly from the wall beyond, and
Madocks, a few moments later, charged again. Accompanied this time by
but three men, he closed to within a few feet of the more distant
sangar. Two of the men with him were here killed, and Madocks, seeing
the uselessness of remaining, made his way back again to the sangar in
rear with his sole companion, called together the rest of the
Yorkshire detachment, and began hurriedly to strengthen the wall under
a searching fire. At this moment a party of his own New Zealanders,
for whom he had sent back, doubled up to the spot, and led by himself,
whilst a storm of bullets broke over them from the surrounding kopjes,
charged down on the Boers with fixed bayonets. The enemy fled at once,
rising from behind the stones upon the hillside. Pursued by volleys
from the crest of the British position, they made their way back to
their lines, leaving twenty-one dead upon the field.[275]

[Footnote 273: Composition: One squadron 6th (Inniskilling)
Dragoons, one squadron 10th Hussars, two companies M.I., and
two guns R.H.A.]

[Footnote 274: This battalion had joined on January 8th and
9th. On January 12th, 1st half-battalion Welsh regiment and a
squadron 10th Hussars had also arrived; they were followed on
the 14th by half a battalion, 2nd Worcestershire regiment.]

[Footnote 275: Casualties, January 15th:--

Killed, six N.C.O.s and men; wounded, one officer, five
N.C.O.s and men. Boer losses: twenty-one killed: about
forty wounded.]

[Sidenote: Arrival, Jan. 15th, of Clements, and fresh troops then and
later to Jan. 21st, causes changes in dispositions.]

Whilst this affair was in progress, a welcome reinforcement arrived.
Major-General R. A. P. Clements brought with him the 1st Royal Irish
and the remainder of the 2nd Worcestershire of his brigade (12th), in
all an addition of 18 officers and 874 men. Clements was immediately
placed in command of the Slingersfontein area