Some of the Highland Brigade very sensibly withdrew towards the right of the Boer position with the idea of outflanking and enfilading the enemy.  They succeeded for some time and actually captured some prisoners, but were soon afterwards themselves enfiladed and compelled to retire.  Eight men of the Seaforths, however, when the frontal attack failed, retired towards the left instead of the right and suddenly found themselves, to their dismay, well inside the enemy’s trenches!  The Boers took away their rifles but forgot their side-arms, whereupon one of the Highlanders drew his bayonet, leapt to his feet and stabbed the sentry who was guarding them in the neck.  The whole eight then jumped over the earthwork and decamped, escaping unhurt through the bullets which followed them from the enraged burghers.

Many of our wounded lay on the ground from early morning till seven or eight in the evening, exposed all day to the scorching rays of an almost tropical sun.  Some of the men brought away in the ambulances were, in fact, suffering from sunstroke, in addition to their wounds, and, as was said above, the bare legs of the three kilted battalions were terribly burnt.  The Boers were very kind to our wounded.  They came out of the trenches and gave them water.  They did not in any case shoot at our wounded men, but frequently shot at any one who came forward during the fight to bandage the wounded.  The slightest movement, however, of the bona-fide combatants in our ranks drew a hail of bullets from the trenches.  A Scotch sergeant, Gilham by name, a most kindly and courageous man, noticed that a comrade near him had been shot through the abdomen.  He raised himself up from his recumbent position and began to bandage the wounded man.  “Lie down you ——­ fool,” said the friend; “can’t you see you are drawing the fire?” As he spoke a bullet passed between Gilham’s knees and struck the wounded man.  Soon afterwards an officer called out for a stretcher, so Gilham jumped up and put on his best “hundred” pace in a slanting run towards the ambulance waggons.  Several other wounded men leapt up and joined him.  One of them was immediately shot through the shoulder, and the good sergeant again stopped and bandaged him.  The Boers had been watching him, and as he recommenced his devious course they sent two bullets through a bush two feet in front of him.  These small bushes formed very inadequate cover, and the enemy, taking for granted that men were lying concealed behind them, fired repeatedly into the shrubs.  In one case no less than eight Highlanders were shot behind one bush.