They had charged and
taken several prisoners, and inflicted severe loss on the enemy. These,
however, had swarmed round them, keeping up an incessant fire and
barring their retreat. They took up a defensive position in a farm, and
for three hours repelled all the attacks of the Boers, until their
horses were all killed or had broken away and the ammunition exhausted,
while the Boers had just brought up the three guns they had withdrawn
from the hill. Further resistance would have ended in the extermination
of the whole party, and Lieutenant-Colonel Moller was therefore obliged
to surrender.
CHAPTER VI
ELANDSLAAGTE
The scouts erected their tents again on their former ground. The
remaining inhabitants of Dundee were jubilant over the victory that had
been won, and did their best, by hanging out flags from the windows, to
decorate the town. Jack and his companion had returned to the camp with
the spare horses as soon as the hill was carried, and had the fires
lighted by the time the party came in. In spite of having worn their
blankets as cloaks, all were wet through, but after changing their
clothes, they went into the town to gather the news of how the hill had
been won, and by the time they returned their meal was ready.
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