across the valley to the succour of their comrades.  Dixon had brought two guns and a howitzer into action, which subdued the fire of the two captured pieces, and the infantry, Derbys and Borderers, swept over the position, retaking the two guns and shooting down those of the enemy who tried to stand.  The greater number vanished into the smoke, which veiled their retreat as it had their advance.  Forty-one of them were left dead upon the ground.  Six officers and fifty men killed with about a hundred and twenty wounded made up the British losses, to which two guns would certainly have been added but for the gallant counter-attack of the infantry.  With Dargai and Vlakfontein to their credit the Derbys have green laurels upon their war-worn colours.  They share them on this occasion with the Scottish Borderers, whose volunteer company carried itself as stoutly as the regulars.

How is such an action to be summed up?  To Kemp, the young Boer leader, and his men belongs the credit of the capture of the guns; to the British that of their recapture and of the final possession of the field.  The British loss was probably somewhat higher than that of the Boers, but upon the other hand there could be no question as to which side could afford loss the better.  The Briton could be replaced, but there were no reserves behind the fighting line of the Boers.

There is one subject which cannot be ignored in discussing this battle, however repugnant it may be.  That is the shooting of some of the British wounded who lay round the guns.  There is no question at all about the fact, which is attested by many independent witnesses.  There is reason to hope that some of the murderers paid for their crimes with their lives before the battle was over.  It is pleasant to add that there is at least one witness to the fact that Boer officers interfered with threats to prevent some of these outrages.  It is unfair to tarnish the whole Boer nation and cause on account of a few irresponsible villains, who would be disowned by their own decent comrades.  Very many—­too many—­British soldiers have known by experience what it is to fall into the hands of the enemy, and it must be confessed that on the whole they have been dealt with in no ungenerous spirit, while the British treatment of the Boers has been unexampled in all military history for its generosity and humanity.  That so fair a tale should be darkened by such ruffianly outrages is indeed deplorable, but the incident is too well authenticated to be left unrecorded in any detailed account of the campaign.  General Dixon, finding the Boers very numerous all round him, and being hampered by his wounded, fell back upon Naauwpoort, which he reached on June 1st.