As the troops, now joined by the Devons, were
rushing down upon the camp, the Boers raised a white flag, and the bugle
sounded "Cease firing". The men halted for a moment and then were
advancing quietly when a tremendous fire broke out from the Boers, who
were scattered over the ridges of the hillside and a slope leading to
its summit.
Hitherto the British loss had been wonderfully small considering the
storm of bullets through which they had passed, but numbers now dropped,
and taken wholly by surprise, the troops ran up the hill again. But not
for long. Halting when they reached the crest, and furious at the
treachery that had been practised with such success upon them, they
turned again, and rushed down the hill, scattering the Boers, who still
clung to their shelters, with their fire. It was just six o'clock when
the Devons carried the last defence of the Boers and then with the
Manchesters swept down into the camp. It was now the turn of the
cavalry. These had in the darkness moved forward unnoticed, and the
Lancers and Dragoons, with a few of the Colonials, among whom were the
Maritzburg Scouts, fell upon the flying Boers and cut them up with great
slaughter, and, although it was now quite dark, followed them for
upwards of two miles, and then returned to camp.
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