not actually join the ranks for a time to escape detection.  But a sound greeted their ears at that moment, and knowing what it meant, they scampered downhill without waiting to hear more.  It was a ringing British cheer followed by strident commands to “Fix bayonets and give the devils cold steel.”  Begun by Major Karri Davis, the order ran along from Imperial Light Horse to Carbineers, who had not a bayonet amongst them, for irregular mounted infantry in this country do not carry such weapons.  But they struck the butts of their rifles on rocks, and made a great clatter as if preparing for a bayonet charge, and cheered again and again for a good deal more than their actual numbers, while crags on each hand tossed the shouts to and fro in a mighty tumult.  This was apparently too much for the small number of Boers who held the crest.  Letting off bullets in rapid succession, until the magazines were exhausted, they turned and bolted, having hit only ten of our men, one of whom, the tallest trooper in the Imperial Light Horse, was badly wounded.  In proportion to their numbers the guides suffered most, having four out of fourteen hit, though none very severely.  The worst wound of all was from an explosive bullet similar to those used in Express rifles for big-game shooting, and many missiles of the same kind were seen to burst with a flash like shells as they struck on stones round about, thus proving that the use of explosive bullets by Boers is not quite so rare as most of us have believed hitherto.  Major Henderson received three wounds from buck-shot or “loupalin,” one of which penetrated deeply, but caused so little shock at the time that he was able to keep pace with the best uphill.  Nevertheless, “scatter guns” are not weapons proper to be used in warfare between civilised combatants.

Halting for a brief breathing space, now and again, at General Hunter’s command, then following with all the speed they could muster where he and his aide-de-camp, Major King, led the Imperial Light Horse on the left, the Carbineers on their right made a final dash for the steepest climb of all, and, breathless, gained the ridge, to find that the Boers had quitted it, leaving not a man in defence of the guns.  A great stroke of luck befell the Imperial Light Horse, who crossed the heights with their left flank opposite a Boer 12-pounder and Maxim gun.  The latter they made a clean capture of, but the field-piece, being too heavy for them to carry off, was left to the tender mercies of the engineers, who soon had bracelets of gun-cotton round it, and the breech-pieces damaged beyond repair.

Meanwhile the right flank was sweeping round towards the main battery in expectation of meeting with some resistance from the gun’s crew of “Big Ben of Little Bulwaan.”  That weapon had, in virtue of similar qualities, succeeded to “Long Tom’s” second title, but did not live long to enjoy it.  The end of his active career was at hand when the Light Horse made their dash for him