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Military History – South Africa – Europe – England 19th Century
.Article – Online Historic Information | Military
.Page 310
small sugar-loaf kopje to the left and a long hog-backed one on the right – a saw of small ridges
above, a harsh face below, freckled with innumerable boulders. Below the small kopje were tents
and waggons; from the leftward shoulder of the big one flashed once more the Boer guns.
This time the shell came. Faint whirr waxed presently to furious scream, and the white cloud
flung itself on to the very line of our batteries unlimbering on the brow. Whirr and scream – another
dashed itself into the field between the guns and limbers. Another and another, only now they fell
harmlessly behind the guns, seeking vainly for the waggons and teams which were drawn snugly away
under a hillside on the right. Another and another – bursting now on the clear space in rear of the guns
between our right and left infantry column. All the infantry were lying down, so well folded in the
ground that I could only see the Devons on the left. The Manchesters and Gordons on the right seemed
to be swallowed by the veldt.
Then between the bangs of their artillery struck the hoarser bay of our own. Ball after ball of
white smoke alighted on the kopje – the first at the base, the second over, the third jump on the Boer
gun. By the fourth the Boer gun flashed no more. Then our guns sent forth little while balloons of
shrapnel, to right, to left, higher, lower, peppering the whole face. Now came rifle-fire – a few
reports, and then a roll like the ungreased wheels of a farm cart. The Imperial Light Horse was at
work on the extreme right. And now as the guns pealed faster and faster we saw mounted men riding
up the nearer swell of kopje and diving over the edge. Shrapnel followed; some dived and came up
no more.
The guns limbered up and moved across to a nearer position towards the right. As they moved
the Boer gun opened again – Lord, but the German gunners knew their business! – punctuating the
intervals and distances of the pieces with scattering destruction. The third or fourth shell pitched
clean into a labouring waggon with its double team of eight horses. It was full of shells. We held our
breath for an explosion. But, when the smoke cleared, only the near wheeler was on his side, and the
waggon had a wheel in the air. The batteries unlimbered and bayed again, and again the Boer guns
were silent. Now for the attack.
The attack was to be made on their front and their left flank – along the hog-back of the big
kopje. The Devons on our left formed for the front attack; the Manchesters went on the right, the
Gordons edged out to the extreme rightward base, with the long, long boulderfreckled face above
them. The guns flung shrapnel across the valley; the watchful cavalry were in leash, straining towards
the enemy’s flanks. It was about a quarter to five, and it seemed curiously dark for the time of day.
No wonder – for as the men moved forward before the enemy the heavens were opened. From
the eastern sky swept a sheer sheet of rain. With the first stabbing drops horses turned their heads
away, trembling, and no whip or spur could bring them up to it. It drove through mackintoshes as if
they were blotting-paper. The air was filled with hissing; underfoot you could see solid earth melting
into mud, and mud flowing away in water. It blotted out hill and dale and enemy in one grey curtain of
swooping water. You would have said that the heavens had opened to drown the wrath of man. And
through it the guns still thundered and the khaki column pushed doggedly on.
The infantry came among the boulders and began to open out. The supports and reserves
followed up. And then, in a twinkling, on the stone-pitted hill-face burst loose that
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