With Rimington | Page 7

under the circumstances can we do?
Yesterday in the early morning we found ourselves emerging from
some stony hills with a great plain before us about four miles wide, I
should think, with an ugly-looking range of hills bounding it on the
north and the railway running north and south on our left. This we had
every reason to believe was the enemy's position; toll-gate No. 2 on the
Kimberley road. We went on to reconnoitre. Rimington led us straight
towards the hills in open order, and when we were somewhere about
rifle range from them, we right turned and galloped in line along their
front; but no gun or rifle spoke. When we reached the eastern point of
the range, we turned it and rode on with the hills on our left; and now,
with the Lancers a little farther out on our right, we offered too good a
shot for the enemy to resist. They opened on us with, as I thought three,
but others think two, guns, and put in some quick and well-directed

shots, of which the first one or two fell short and the rest went
screaming over our heads and fell among the Lancers.
One point of difference, I notice, so far as a short experience goes,
between cavalry and infantry, which is all in favour of the cavalry; and
that is, that when they get into fire the infantry go calmly on, while the
much wiser cavalry generally run away. We retired from these guns,
but when opposite the corner of the range the Lancers got on to some
bad ground in front of us, and we had to halt a minute, which gave the
Boer Long Tom an excellent chance of a few parting words with us.
The first shell came along, making the mad noise they do, whooping
and screaming to itself, and plunged into the ground with a loud snort
only about thirty or forty yards off. The gunner, having got his range,
was not long in sending down another, and when the white curl of
smoke appeared lying again on the hillside, one guessed that the
individual now on his way would prove a warmish customer. It burst
with a most almighty crack, and I involuntarily bent down my head
over my horse's neck. "Right over your head," shouted the next man, in
answer to my question as to where it burst.
If you are at all interested in "projectiles," you may care to hear that
shrapnel is most effective when it bursts over, but a little short of, the
object aimed at; the bullets, released by the bursting charge, continuing
the line of flight of the shell, which is a downward slant. There is a
rather anxious interval, of about ten or fifteen seconds generally after
you see the smoke of the gun, and before anything else happens. Then
comes the hollow boom of the report, and almost immediately
afterwards the noise of the shell, growing rapidly from a whimper to a
loud scream, with a sudden note of recognition at the end, as if it had
caught sight of and were pouncing on you. It is a curious fact, however,
that, in spite of the noise they make, you cannot in the least distinguish
in which direction they are coming. You find yourself looking vaguely
round, wondering where this yelling devil is going to ground, but till
you see the great spurt of earth you have no idea where it will be. We
came back across the plain, having more or less located the position
and the guns. Rimington with one squadron got into a tight place
among some kopjes on our right. The rifle fire was very hot, and at

close range. The Major took up his orderly, whose horse was shot, on
his own pony, and brought him off. For a moment the squadron came
under cover of a hill, but they had to run the gauntlet of the Boer fire to
get away. Rimington laughingly asked for a start as his pony was
carrying double, and rode first out into the storm of bullets. Several
men and horses were hit, but no men killed, and they were lucky in
getting off as cheap as they did. We then drew back to a cattle kraal on
the slope overlooking the plain, from which we watched the
development of the infantry attack.
I usually carry a note-book and pencil in my pocket, partly to jot down
any information one may pick up at farms from Kaffirs, &c., and partly
to make notes in of the things I see. Here is a note from the kraal.
"10 A.M.--There is a wide plain in front of me, four miles across, flat
as the sea, and all along the farther side