wing to the left of Firely Church, where, except for the gun, it became
almost a negligible quantity. The gun came out between the church and
the wood into a position from which it did a considerable amount of
mischief to the infantry on our right, and nearly drove our rightmost
gun in upon its supports. Meanwhile, Red's two guns on his right came
forward to Hook's Farm, rather badly supported by his infantry.

"Once they got into position there I perceived that we should be done
for, and accordingly I rushed every available man forward in a vigorous
counter attack, and my own two guns came lumbering up to the farmhouse
corners, and got into the wedge of shelter close behind the house
before his could open fire. His fire met my advance, littering the
gentle grass slope with dead, and then, hot behind the storm of shell,
and even as my cavalry gathered to charge his guns, he charged mine.
I was amazed beyond measure at that rush, knowing his sabres to be
slightly outnumbered by mine. In another moment all the level space
round the farmhouse was a whirling storm of slashing cavalry, and
then we found ourselves still holding on, with half a dozen prisoners,
and the farmyard a perfect shambles of horses and men. The melee was
over. His charge had failed, and, after a brief breathing--space for
my shot--torn infantry to come up, I led on the counter attack. It was
brilliantly successful; a hard five minutes with bayonet and sabre,
and his right gun was in our hands and his central one in jeopardy.

"And now Red was seized with that most fatal disease of generals,
indecision. He would neither abandon his lost gun nor adequately attack
it. He sent forward a feeble little infantry attack, that we cut up
with the utmost ease, taking several prisoners, made a disastrous
demonstration from the church, and then fell back altogether from the
gentle hill on which Hook Farm is situated to a position beside and