[Page Heading:  A TERRIFIC CHARGE]

He immediately ordered Gordon to charge the right front.  The members of his Staff expected that the General would now take up a position of security in the rear of the column, before the grim work began.  But he kept his place in the van with his Staff.  His officers were practically certain that not only the first, but several of the leading squadrons would be utterly wiped out.  There appeared to be nothing in heaven or earth which could prevent huge losses.  Gordon led his men—­the Ninth and Sixteenth Lancers—­in superb style.  Despite the pitiable condition of the horses, it was a charge worthy of the British Army.  A strong fire poured in from the Boer trenches and from the kopjes above.  But as the huge masses of armed men gained the inevitable momentum and pounded down upon the enemy in a cloud of sword-lit dust, the Boers fled before these clattering hoofs.  Throwing up their guns they begged for mercy.  But nothing could stop the terrific impetus of the charge.  Nearly one hundred and fifty Boers fell as the Lancers ploughed through their trenches.  Behind the Lancers the whole division now swept on in perfect order, led by the Greys.  “So the whole division swung up the plain at the gallop.  It was a thrilling time never to be forgotten,” wrote Boyle.  So wild was the Boer fire that our casualties only amounted to four men wounded and two horses wounded.

The plain once cleared, a halt was made for the guns to come up, to hold the enemy on the left.  When the Artillery had joined the main force, the advance was again begun.  The plain once crossed, the smoke stacks of Kimberley came into view.  At sight of these dingy symbols of the commerce they had risked all to save, the men raised a tired cheer.  Kimberley was relieved—­although the nervous operators to whom French attempted to heliograph the fact, persisted in pessimistically believing that he was the enemy.

By far the worst of the work was now over.  Before French reached Kimberley, however, the Boers made a last effort to stay his victorious advance.  But they were driven back with heavy loss.  Only the frightful condition of his horses prevented French from turning rout into annihilation.  But his worn-out animals were quite beyond pursuing even a beaten enemy.

At length, Kimberley, seeing the huge sand cloud on the horizon, came to the conclusion that it enveloped the horsemen, not of Cronje but of French.  About six o’clock in the evening an officer rode out of the besieged city to meet the soldier who had saved it.  At 7—­just one hour after the moment of French’s historic promise, the General entered Kimberley with his Staff.  He dined that night at De Beer’s Sanatorium.

But there was no rest for the conquerors.  At 3.30 on the following morning the cavalry was harrying the Boers to the north-east.  At 5 o’clock they came upon a body of Boers on a well-fortified ridge, who were covering the army’s retreat.  Unable to operate vigorously against them owing to the condition of his forces, French forced them to draw in their outposts.  But it was impossible to do more.  His horses were half dead.  And in the terrific heat “the tongues of men and horses become black from thirst.”  Realising the hopelessness of the situation, French returned to the town.