t up their guns and
prepared to repeat their success. The Boers resisted fiercely, but were
eventually driven back to a third line of defence. Night was rapidly
descending, but this notwithstanding, the Light Horse were ordered to
complete their victory. It was in this last rush that their daring
leader was struck down. The third position was actually taken; but the
disappearance of the light rather handicapped the gunners. The enemy was
re-inforced, and the remnants of the Light Horse were obliged to
evacuate the ground that had cost them so much.

These are the bare facts of the affair--the facts which came to light.
Contradictory opinions as to whether there had been a blunder were
freely expressed. On the conflicting theories advanced I refrain from
commenting. It did not, for the moment, concern the people at large upon
whose shoulders the blame rested. Twenty-four dead! and Scott-Turner one
of them. Seventeen of the number had been well-known and respected
citizens. The _Diamond Fields' Advertiser_ commented on the fight as a
"triumph" for British arms. This point was, to put it mildly, debatable.
The feeling uppermost in the mind of the plain man was that nothing had
been accomplished that could compensate for the loss of so many brave
men. The consoler who argued that the losses on the other side exceeded
ours did not console. Nor did the vapourings of him who prated of what
we, acting in conjunction with the Column, would presently give the
Boers. The disaster enkindled a distrust of the military which remained
inextinguishable to the end. Wherefore the need of risking so many
lives, at such a moment, with a Column outside, on its way to set us
free? That the critics--and they were legion--should search for motives
was inevitable; and the tactics of the military were promptly attributed
to a desire for glory (here below). This may have been an erroneous, a
wild conclusion; but it was jumped to with great satisfaction.
Theoretically, the idea of getting in touch with the approaching troops
was good; but it was a premature effort--how awfully premature we knew
at last. Our defenders were few enough to defend the perimiter of the
city. How were we to hold the positions we had sought to get possession
of? To this and much more (_after_ the event) the public demanded an
answer. They asked in vain; for under the "Resolute Government" of
Martial Law, public opinion is an Irishism.

The funerals made a most impressive