d
the Lazaretto Ridge, and actually drawn close to a Boer
camp--unobserved. When the sentry _did_ open his eyes and had challenged
our advance agents no verbal response was made; but a rifle went off,
and the sentry fell. The Boers were of course instantly aroused by the
report; they rushed to their trenches, and a fierce rifle-duel ensued.
From the muzzles of the Mausers a withering volley came. Some of
Turner's men fell from their saddles, but the rest, nothing daunted,
pressed their advantage and charged pell-mell upon the foe. The Boers
fought gallantly, but were unable to resist the fury of the onslaught;
some of them threw down their arms; others made a dash for liberty;
while not a few fell fighting to the last. Thirty prisoners were taken;
also a large quantity of rifles. Seven Light Horse men were killed;
twelve were seriously, and fifteen slightly, wounded. Colonel
Scott-Turner, who was hit in the shoulder, had his horse shot under him.
Thus ended the most serious sortie of the siege--so far.

The townspeople had assembled in concourse to welcome the warriors home.
Cheer after cheer rent the air as they passed, intermingled now and then
with a murmur of pity, suggested by the sight of a riderless horse.
Scott-Turner was the recipient of a special salvo, which nearly
unsaddled him again; and the other officers were bored to death bowing
their acknowledgments along the route. Privates with bandaged eyes or
arms were also singled out for vociferous greeting, only they passed the
bowing, and were not a bit bored. The Mayor himself, smoking a cigar,
came along in his own goods van! There was no mistaking his identity; it
_was_ the Mayor--the Mayor of the Diamond City in a wooden chariot! not
indeed in his robes of State, but--in the flesh! A flaming Red Cross
waved above the Mayoral van, and a long string of vehicles, adorned with
like emblems, followed. It was to the credit of the merchants generally
that they had voluntarily placed their horses and wagons at the disposal
of the military. Had all the combatants been stricken _hors-de-combat_
there were facilities on the spot for their immediate conveyance to
hospital.

The prisoners, who followed in the wake of their conquerors, were the
great objects of curiosity and interest. One or two spectators started
groaning; but a nudge, or failing that, a kick sufficed to correct their
bad taste. A weary, travel-stained group the captives looked--with their
unkempt loc