But Clements
himself had appeared upon the scene, and his cool gallantry turned
the tide of fight. An extension of the line checked the cross fire,
and gave the British in turn a flanking position. Gradually the
Boer riflemen were pushed back, until at last they broke and fled
for their horses in the rear. A small body were cut off, many of
whom were killed and wounded, while a few were taken prisoners.
This stiff fight of an hour had ended in a complete repulse of the
attack, though at a considerable cost. Both Boers and British had
lost heavily. Nearly all the staff were killed or wounded, though
General Clements had come through untouched. Fifty or sixty of both
sides had fallen. But it was noted as an ominous fact that in spite
of shell fire the Boers still lingered upon the western flank. Were
they coming on again? They showed no signs of it. And yet they
waited in groups, and looked up towards the beetling crags above
them. What were they waiting for? The sudden crash of a murderous
Mauser fire upon the summit, with the rolling volleys of the
British infantry, supplied the answer.
Only now must it have been clear to Clements that he was not
dealing merely with some spasmodic attack from his old enemy De la
Rey, but that this was a largely conceived movement, in which a
force at least double the strength of his own had suddenly been
concentrated upon him.
