In the mad rush they were galloped over and
knocked down by the torrent of frightened creatures. In the gloom
of that early hour the men must have thought that they were charged
by cavalry. The column was dashed out of all military order as
effectively as if a regiment of dragoons had ridden over them. When
the cyclone had passed, and the men had with many a muttered curse
gathered themselves into their ranks once more, they realised how
grave was the misfortune which had befallen them. There, where
those mad hoofs still rattled in the distance, were their spare
cartridges, their shells, and their cannon. A mountain gun is not
drawn upon wheels, but is carried in adjustable parts upon
mule-back. A wheel had gone south, a trail east, a chase west. Some
of the cartridges were strewn upon the road. Most were on their way
back to Ladysmith. There was nothing for it but to face this new
situation and to determine what should be done.
It has been often and naturally asked, why did not Colonel Carleton
make his way back at once upon the loss of his guns and ammunition,
while it was still dark? One or two considerations are evident. In
the first place, it is natural to a good soldier to endeavour to
retrieve a situation rather than to abandon his enterprise. His
prudence, did he not do so, might become the subject of public
commendation, but might also provoke some private comment.
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