could go. Then we came in sight of the enemy, and the same thing
happened as at Belmont. A lot of horsemen, enough to have eaten us up,
that were hanging about the rear of the Boer column, came wheeling out
against us, and as we continued to approach, opened fire. Luckily there
was good cover for our ponies behind some hillocks, and, leaving them
there, we crawled out among the rocks and blazed at the Boers. But this
was all we could do. We daren't attack. The only hope was guns, and it
was a long and inexplicable time before any guns came up. By that time
the Boer column was almost across the plain, winding its way in among
the kopjes on the farther side, but the 15-pounders made some very
pretty practice at the rear-guard, and considerably hastened their
movements. The Boer retreat seems to have been conducted with much
coolness and method. They ceased firing their big guns while the attack
was still a good way distant, and limbered up and sent them on, the
riflemen remaining till the attack was close upon them, and firing their
last shots right in our infantry's faces, then rushing down to their
horses and mounting and galloping off. No doubt, they exposed themselves
a bit in doing this, but pumped and excited men can't be expected to
shoot very straight, and I'm afraid their losses were light compared to
ours. They have now retired, we presume, to the next range of kopjes,
there to smoke their pipes and read their Bibles and await our coming. I
suppose we shall be along to-morrow or next day.




LETTER IV

MODDER RIVER