At one o'clock Colonel Hamilton's brigade, which had hitherto been lying
behind the crest they first occupied, in readiness to repel any counter-
attack the Boers might make, now moved out and took up their position to
cover the retirement of Hunter's column and Howard's brigade, and
although the Boers pressed hotly upon them they held their ground
steadily until their comrades had all reached their camp, and then
marched in unhindered by the enemy, whose big cannon had now been
finally silenced by the naval gun and their batteries for the most part
obliged to retire.
After seeing the naval gun open fire Chris had gone down to speak to
Captain Brookfield, when he met two soldiers of a mountain battery
carrying an injured comrade. They took him into the hospital and then
came out. Their shoulder-straps showed them to belong to the mountain
battery that had gone out with the Royal Irish Fusiliers and the
Gloucesters, of whom nothing had been heard, though occasionally, in
momentary intervals of fire, the sound of distant musketry could be made
out in the direction of Nicholson's Nek.
"How are your party getting on?" he asked.
"We don't know anything about them, sir," one of the men said, "except
that they have been heavily engaged since daylight.
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