VIII. CHAP. grass. The rain had ceased; dawn came, bringing with it a cold wind, and making all feel colder still. A thousand yards away to their right front was the laager, with a house behind it. The sun had risen, and yet there was no sign given of the mounted men attacking. At length shots, soon followed by volleys and answering volleys on the right, told of their presence. At once figures were seen running up the hill over the laager to discover what was going on, while others were securing their horses out grazing and saddling up. Soon a few came on, by threes and fours, towards the right flank of the party in ambush -stopping short, however, and dismounting under the rise, when they could be heard saying in Dutch: Wait here, and we shall catch them." The fire on the right continuing, they remounted and moved off in its direction. Attention had hitherto been diverted to these men, when suddenly a big Boer-afterwards known as Mr Otto-was seen moving slowly along the front of the ambush party, with another well-known leader— Mr Cronjé-beyond on a grey horse, followed by fifty men. In another moment the party would have been discovered, so, rising, Major Montague gave the order to fire. The Dutchman, bending over his horse's neck, rode off untouched. The men, cold and numbed, fired wildly at first, but more steadily afterwards at the man on the grey horse and the rest. Horses were galloping away without riders, and the remainder dashed forward for cover, and were soon firing from thence, about a hundred yards off. VIII. As more reinforcements appeared to be approach- CHAP. ing, Major Montague now deemed it prudent to fall back. The retirement was effected in regular order, skirmishing and firing, with but one wounded man— the only casualty. The Boers are said to have afterwards admitted that eleven of their men had been knocked over. By the time the affair was ended, several hundred horsemen had shown on the hill just vacated, thus exhibiting the enemy's excellent organisation for quickly reinforcing a post attacked. The skirmish had a good effect on the Boers— caused them to leave our vedettes alone, and "mistrust every patch of grass that grew." enterprise. A notable enterprise was one carried out by a Curious colour - sergeant, who, after long abstinence from liquor, spent an evening, indulging in several glasses, at the canteen, where a commissariat man, saying that he could take Stander's Kop with ten men, the sergeant, not to be outdone, declared he would do so with only five. He accordingly returned to his hut, called for five volunteers, and started with them for the top of Stander's Kop. About two hours afterwards a man came back from him saying that he was close to the top and required reinforcements. A party under an officer was sent out to bring him back, but returned at daylight without having been able to find him. In the meantime the sergeant and his men had occupied the sconce at the near end of the hill, overlooking the camp-the post of the Boer picket by day-and remained hidden until the next VIII. CHAP. morning, when twenty Boers appearing, they were, greatly to their surprise, received with volleys, three being knocked over, and the remainder quickly disappearing. The last shot. The difficulty now was to draw off these men and prevent their capture. All the troops were set in motion, skirmishing towards the Kop. Fifty Boers were seen riding along the top, and a similar party spread out at the base. Both sides opened fire, the sergeant's party meanwhile scrambling down the rocks, and, protected by our heavy fire, managing to gain the garden-wall below-already referred towhen the skirmishers were able to rescue them. The last shot-an unfortunate one as it turned out -fired during the investment, was on the 11th March. Waggons were seen approaching from the Newcastle direction, and the Boers began to show themselves on their different positions. It looked as if a fresh laager was about to be formed. The sergeant in charge of the sharpshooters at the fort was directed to fire a shot, which he did with effect. Scarcely had the man fallen, when two Boers rode towards the drift carrying a large white flag. The river being at the time too high to be forded, a native was sent across swimming, who brought back a letter from the Boer commandant, enclosing a copy of the Armistice armistice agreement, and a private note from the officer in charge of the supplies forwarded. notified, but the possibility of peace The consternation was great. The possibility of the negotiations resulting in peace does not seem to have been entertained, and the commanding officer issued orders which pointed to the prolongation of the war: CHAP. being made not enter "The reinforcements are now on their way from tained. England, and a further column is at Newcastle; but as the final advance may not take place until the arrival of the reinforcements, it will be safer not to anticipate any relief until the end of April at the earliest. Up to that date supplies on the present scale have been calculated; our forts are completed; ammunition is ample; and the health of the garrison and town is excellent. Nevertheless, peace was made; and the notification thereof being received on the 26th March, the volunteers were disbanded; the troops withdrawn to the camp; the Boers admitted into the town; and the Landdrost reinstated to carry out the civil law as before. Thus was brought to a conclusion a uniformly well-sustained resistance, carried out with small loss -only five men killed-two privates of the 58th and one of the 94th Regiment, and two troopers of the mounted volunteers, during an investment which lasted eighty-eight days. The townspeople marked their appreciation of the conduct of the defence, and the treatment they themselves had received, by forwarding a complimentary address to the officer commanding and the garrison under him.1 1 Major Montague was subsequently made a Companion of the Bath in recognition of his services; Sergeant Patrick Sharkey, 94th Regiment, received the distinguished-conduct medal. CHAPTER IX. THE DEFENCE OF WAKKERSTROOM. IX. Military position. THE town a mere village, but with the usual district public offices, Dutch church, school, and stores, -is properly called Marthinus Wesselstroom, but usually went by the name of the district of which it was the chief town. Surrounded by hills, some of which are within rifle-range, it lies in a hollow, with a river flowing along its north side, flooding a part of the flat during the rainy season, and thus affording protection from surprise in that quarter. The military camp and position were on the plateau and hills above, about a mile from, and partially overlooking the town. This elevated region of the Transvaal being reputed free from the ravages of horse - sickness, the headquarters and larger portion of the King's Dragoon Guards were located here, as also the headquarters of the 58th Regiment, prior to these corps being withdrawn, in July and August, from the province. They were encamped on hills nearly a mile apart, with a declivity and stream between, the com |