Meantime the Boers on the summit held their ground.  Their movement was backed by three field guns and two automatics across the Bester’s valley at ranges of 2,000 yards and 4,000 yards.  Their further advance along the edge was really checked by two Manchester privates, Scott and Pitts, who kept up an incessant fire from their little wall at the extremity after all their comrades were shot.  Three companies of the Rifle Brigade at last came up to reinforce.  Then the G Company of the Gordons, under Captain Carnegie.  But for a long time no one knew where the gap in our line really was.  About half-past nine one could see the enemy still thick among the rocks and trees on the left of the extremity, though the shrapnel was dropping all among them from the 53rd Battery.  It was just before this that Lieutenant Walker, watching with a telescope from the signal station on the Convent, saw two Boers creeping along the edge alone for about 150 yards under tremendous fire.  Suddenly a shrapnel took them, and both fell down.  They were father and son.  About half-past ten the first assault was repulsed, and for a time the Boers disappeared, but one could see reinforcements massing behind a hill called the “Red Kopje,” across the deep stream of the Bester’s valley.  The second main attack was delivered about one, and the third during the storm at five.  I think, after the first assault, the Boer line never advanced beyond the cover of the edge.  But their incessant fire was supported by a storm of long-range bullets from the heights across the valley.  The position was not finally cleared till nearly seven.

The attack and the defence were equally gallant, as at Waggon Hill.  Our guns were of far more service than theirs, but probably the loss by rifle fire was not so great, the range being longer.  The total force of the attack on both positions was probably about 7,000.  Some 2,000 Volunteers led the way—­old Boer farmers and picked men who came forward after a prayer meeting on Friday.  For immovable courage I think it would be impossible to beat our gunners—­especially of the 42nd and 53rd Batteries.  All through the action they continued the routine of gunnery just as if they were out for exercise on the sands.

By seven o’clock the main positions on the south side of our defences were safe.  On the north, fighting had been going on all day also.  At about 4 a.m. the artillery and rifle fire was so violent around Observation Hill that I thought the main attack was on that point.  Originally the Boers no doubt intended a strong attack there.  The hill has always been one of the weakest points of our defence.

The Boers began their attack on Observation Hill just before dawn with a rapid fire of guns and rifles at long range.  At first only our guns replied, the two of the 69th doing excellent work with shrapnel over the opposite ridges.  By about six we could see the Boers creeping forward over Bell Spruit and making their way up the dongas and ridges in our front.  At about eight there was a pause, and it seemed as if the attack was abandoned, but it began again at nine with greater violence.  The shell fire was terrific.  Every kind of shell, from the 45-pounder of the 4.7 in. howitzer down to the 1-1/2-pounder of the automatic, was hurled against those little walls, while shrapnel burst almost incessantly overhead.