charge the position occupied by the Boers.

The charge took place in a blinding hail-storm, a time well chosen, as
the hail was beating into the faces of the Boers. The men, before
reaching the place where they formed up for the charge, were wet
through, and had put on their warm coats which they had carried strapped
on to their belts.

When the storm was at its height, Colonel Park gave the order to charge.
Lieutenant Field, who commanded the leading company, rushed forward up
the slope, shouting, "Company, double charge!" He was immediately
followed at a distance of about ten yards by Masterson's company, which
was immediately followed by Lafone's. As they got to the top of the
crest they came in view of the sangar of rocks held by the I.L.H. At the
corner of this they had to change direction half right, and the moment
they reached it came under fire from the Boers. There was necessarily
some crowding at this corner, owing to the change of direction, and the
fact that the companies in their eagerness had followed so soon the one
behind the other. There was, however, no halting, no dwelling here. On
they went to reach their goal, 130 yards away, over perfectly flat open
ground, fired into at short range from right, left, and front.
Three-parts of the way across Park directed the rear company more to the
right, the position the Boers occupied being in a semicircle.

[Illustration: Lieut.-Colonel C.W. Park]

The enemy held on, firing most heavily, until the charging lines were
within fifteen yards of them, and then ran down the slope and
disappeared behind a ridge of rocks some forty yards ahead, beyond which
the ground was dead and fell steeply away to the front. Almost before