It Was Hard, Among
Those Billowing Hills, To Make Out The Exact Limits Of The Enemy's
Position.
All that was certain was that they were there, and that
we meant having them out if it were humanly possible.
'The enemy
are there,' said Ian Hamilton to his infantry; 'I hope you will
shift them out before sunset - in fact I know you will.' The men
cheered and laughed. In long open lines they advanced across the
veld, while the thunder of the two batteries behind them told the
Boer gunners that it was their turn now to know what it was to be
outmatched.
The idea was to take the position by a front and a flank attack,
but there seems to have been some difficulty in determining which
was the front and which the flank. In fact, it was only by trying
that one could know. General White with his staff had arrived from
Ladysmith, but refused to take the command out of French's hands.
It is typical of White's chivalrous spirit that within ten days he
refused to identify himself with a victory when it was within his
right to do so, and took the whole responsibility for a disaster at
which he was not present. Now he rode amid the shells and watched
the able dispositions of his lieutenant.
About half-past three the action had fairly begun. In front of the
advancing British there lay a rolling hill, topped by a further
one. The lower hill was not defended, and the infantry, breaking
from column of companies into open order, advanced over it.
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