Four Months Besieged - The Story of Ladysmith by H. H. S. Pearse
page 62 of 197 (31%)
page 62 of 197 (31%)
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been shaken in the slightest degree by shell fire yet. What losses our
foes suffered we have no means of knowing, but they were probably much heavier than our own, which numbered five killed and twenty-four wounded, mostly by shells, in the twelve hours of intermittent fighting. CHAPTER VI A MONTH UNDER SHELL FIRE The first siege-baby--An Irish-American deserter--A soldierly grumble--Boer cunning and Staff-College strategy--An ammunition difficulty--The tireless cavalry--A white flag incident--What the Boer Commandant understood--The Natal summer--Mere sound and fury--Boer Sabbatarianism--Naval guns at work--"Puffing Billy" of Bulwaan--Intrepid Boer gunners--The barking of "Pom-Poms"--Another reconnaissance--"Like scattered bands of Red Indians"--A futile endeavour--A night alarm--Recommended for the V.C.--A man of straw in khaki--The Boer search-light--Shelling of the hospital--General White protests--The first woman hit--General Hunter's bravado--"Long Tom" knocked out--A gymkhana under fire--Faith, Hope, and Charity--Flash signals from the south--A new Creusot gun. The garrison and inhabitants of Ladysmith now began to realise that they were doomed to a long period of inactivity if to nothing more serious. The days immediately following the Boer attempt of 9th |
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