Part 36 (2/2)

For almost three complete months had the Boers surrounded Ladysmith on every side, and shelled it persistently, and yet here were the British troops, seee

But wounds and disease had slowly thinned their ranks, and against the 20,000 or e circle of trenches What could they do against the odds opposed to them? It was almost an impossible feat that was expected of them, but for all that, each and every one of our sturdy lads, as he sat in the trenches that night, listening intently and vainly endeavouring to pierce the gloom, swore solemnly to himself that the task should be accohed at and kept a horde of Boers at bay, and nohen they were in a tight corner and in difficulties, they would teach the eneth to use the away froers surrounding the beleaguered garrison, bands of stern, resolute Boers collected together in absolute silence in the darkness There was no need for words Their plans had long since been arranged They were the pick of all the forces from the Transvaal and the sister republic, and for the most part they had volunteered to attack and capture the cae, they nust their ranks commandants, field-cornets, and officers of the Boer army At a pereer put up with the huhed at by a handful of rand assault It would be warfare after a method hateful to the boulder wasBut a desperate position called for stern measures, and, like the brave men they were, they prepared for the work, deterether in silence, they for the most part removed their boots, and just before the darkness lifted they set out across the grassy plain, and without so on Hill and Caesar's Cahts clambered up till they were almost upon the trenches, when they were discovered by an outpost of the Manchesters, who gave the alarht, and the guns opened fire, tearing the elopes and the flats beloith bursting shrapnel

But the darkness aided the Boers, and in a few ot so far, but they were not to hlanders and the Rifle Brigade had arrived, and, rushi+ng forith fixed bayonets, they dashed pell-mell at the enemy, and after a fierce and bloody conflict broke the down the steep hillside

It was desperate work As the night lifted, and the grey haze of dawn lay upon the grassy slopes of Caesar's Caht for supreth, and not one failed to do his duty to his queen

Magnificently the brave fellows kept up the reputation of the arht by Mauser bullets, pressed the ene cheer after theain

Jack and Guy took a full share in the work Deafened by the reports of the field-artillery and the incessant tat, tat of the rifles, they stood shoulder to shoulder in the trench, and when their coed, rushed forith them and helped to hurl back the Boers But that was the least difficult part of the task Some minutes before the much-needed reinforcements arrived they were closely pressed, and barely held their own The Boers swariven, opened a hot fire upon them Then they rushed at the back to back, Jack and his friend, with Mr Hunter, beat off a determined assault, but a second which followed parted the fellows found themselves alone and cut off frost the Highlanders

Side by side Jack and Guy thrust fiercely at the Boers, parrying the swinging blows ai bullets by a miracle

”Surrender, and lay down your ar his rifle at Jack's head ”You are surrounded and cut off from your friends”

”Never!” cried Jack, hoarsely ”Come and take us it you can!”

”Very well, then,” the Boer answered roughly, and at once pulled his trigger, falling hi down the hill, his head almost smashed in by a shell which had struck hi close by Jack, it hit Guy with a dull thud in the thigh, causing hiht, old boy!” cried Jack i his bayonet deep into the chest of a young Boer

”That's it, Jack Keep the, but can fire ed, for the eneain, and while so theirs over their heads and bit with all their strength But the keen, glearily here and there, kept theave a defiant shout, and, springing forward, threw hi one with hisa second senseless with the butt of his rifle

Meanwhile Guy had calhers returned to the attack he picked them off one by one But it was an uneven contest, and another minute would have seen both of the cheer fro bullets, swept the brawny, kilted sons of Scotland and the fearless and lithe little rifleht of battle in their gleaht the Boers drew back for one brief ained their friends, the latter forgetting the agony of his wound in the excitee and rehers turned to face the onco line of bayonets with a bravery which none of their fellows had ever shown before With one fierce shout they ranged theether, poured in a volley, and rushed like a tide up the hill todown it A minute later the two forces met with a crash, but the result was never for a moment doubtful The British onrush was not even checked There was a fierce lunging of rifles, a succession of awful groans, and the Boers were gone, all swept to the ground, save a feere now racing away for their lives And after the volley, and then stood watching the that they would return again ere the flush of victory had died down in their hearts But one such bitter experience was sufficient for theinto cover, opened up a galling fire upon the heights of Caesar's Camp

Meanwhile other parts of the town had been attacked, to draw off attention frohts to the south, the position which was of such vital iainst Caesar's Camp, and while to the west of it one commando of staunch men had been hurled backward down the slopes, another had advanced on Wagon Hill, and had occupied it before the three detachht Horse stationed near were aware of it The Boers, however, were raked by a allant colonists stuck to their posts with dogged persistence

As the day dawned and it was seen that the enehlanders, Devons, and 60th Rifles charged theht Horse There was no denying this old and supre a conflict One crash, one murderous flash of fire, and the hearts of the Boers were inspired with terror, and they fled precipitately to cover, whence they kept up a sullen fusillade

Forhours the Boers poured a stor ridge of which they had taken possession, and then, at noon, they ht, only to be shattered by the field-artillery and mon by our riflemen

Late thatstorm of sleet and rain which only Natal could produce, a third and last attenal failure, for by now the artillery, which had already done such excellent service, had ranged their guns to rake the open ground, and those of the eneers to rest and recover fro, for they had many comrades to mourn, and in addition their dearest hope had been frustrated From behind a barrier of rock, and concealed in carefully-prepared trenches on the ridges north of the Tugela, they and their long-range guns had proved too forallant attack But here, when the position had been reversed, when a handful of British manned a trench on the summit of a hill which sloped easily and was not too steep to be assailed, they, in spite of their superior number, had been shattered and defeated

It was hu; but that desperate conflict served, if it did nothing else, to banish the land no that she was fighting valiant men, ould be perfect as enemies, and equally chivalrous as her own soldiers, did not ood na upon the red cross and the wounded andAnd on the Boer side, where previously scorn and worse for the bravery of the ”Rooineks” had been shown, ungrudging praise for their dauntless courage was now given; while those who had stood to face the desperate charge upon the heighs of Caesar's Ca, not even their cherished independence and the longing for a Dutch South Africa, should prevail upon thehts of Caesar's Camp, when the tide of battle had been turned back and the dusk of evening was beginning to fall, there were rass They had chosen a soldier's life, and their reward had been to die for the sacred cause of their country It was a sad and heart-rending scene, and Jack, as he looked on and endeavoured to help the wounded, fully realised the hly bandaged and waiting to be carried off, while close at hand was the lifeless body of a little rifleh death had laid its hand upon hiruesome scene, but he had little tiht of a farass, knelt down by the side of Rawlings, the brave and jovial Highlander who had led the assault upon the Boer gun

”Hallo, Jack!” he panted cheerfully; ”not hit, I see Prop ood fellow”