out from half-way up the hill.  Silence would serve no longer, and indeed it had been broken again and again by the clang of iron-heeled boots on loose stones.  So the order to fix swords was given, and passed in stentorian tones along the front.  Sword-bayonets rattled sharply against rifle barrels to show that there was no deception this time, and then with lusty cheers the assaulting companies sprang forward, floundering at times in deep clefts between boulders, then re-forming to continue their advance, while the supports and reserves fell as quickly as they could into the formation that is roughly indicated in the accompanying diagram.  That plan had been adopted to guard against flank attacks by the oblique fire from two companies, between which an opening was left for the assaulting companies to retire through in case of reverses.  But neither flank attack nor reverses came at this critical point.  Major Thesiger and Captain Gough, following their respective guides, gained the crest before their enemies had time to fire many shots from magazine rifles, and the battery was won.  But it contained neither gun nor gunners.  Was the whole expedition therefore fruitless?  No! there came sounds as of men at work stealthily a few yards off.

For that point a sergeant led his section, and found the howitzer with a few men round it as escort, bearing rifles.  The men threw down their arms in token of submission, but that trick has been played too often.  “This damned nonsense is too late,” said the sergeant, and with levelled bayonets his sections swept away the chance of treachery.  So the story runs, and at any rate our men pushed forward without further opposition until they formed a half-moon overlooking the darkness in a deep valley that might have been full of foes.  Into that darkness, therefore, they poured steady volleys for half an hour, while the engineers were trying to destroy the captured howitzer.  Their first attempt failed owing to a defective fuse, but with the next gun-cotton charge a fracture was made so deep that the howitzer will never be able to fire a shot again.  Then the riflemen retired, and as they reached a safe distance downhill they heard a mightier explosion.  This also was the work of our engineers, who had found a magazine and blown it up with all the ammunition there.

But now from flanks and rear came heavy rifle fire.  Colonel Metcalfe, thinking he was being fired on by his own supports, rode towards them, calling upon Captains Paley and Stephen by name to cease firing.  But he was met by a withering volley, and knew it must have come from enemies.  At the same time a sergeant going off in another direction, and calling, “Second Rifle Brigade, are you there?” was received by answers in English, and before he had discovered his mistake three rifle-bullets stung him, but for all that he managed to get back in safety to his company.  Then the Adjutant-Captain Dawnay, assisted by Major Wing of the Artillery, who had come out from camp as a volunteer unattached, did successful work in getting together sections that had gone astray in the intense darkness.