Being in comparatively
close order, they suffered more heavily than Hildyard had done.
Presently they came upon a spruit which they took to be the main river,
and under a tremendous fire from the Mausers and guns, dashed across it,
and swinging round their left made for the drift, sweeping before them a
number of Boers who had been hidden in the long grass. Trenches were
there line after line, but over these the four regiments--the Connaught
Rangers, the Border regiment, the Inniskilling and Dublin Fusiliers--
dashed forward with such fury that the Boers did not stop to meet their
bayonets. By a quarter-past seven the enemy had been driven across the
Tugela. Without hesitation the Irish dashed into the river. Many fell
headlong, for along the bottom barbed wires had been stretched. Worse
still, it was found that instead of being two feet deep, as was
expected, it was eight feet; for the Boers had erected a dyke across the
river a little lower down, and had dammed the water back.
Some swam across with their rifles and ammunition, but it was a feat
beyond all except the strongest swimmers, and after maintaining
themselves for some time they were forced to retire. The naval guns did
their best to assist them, and silenced some of the Boer cannon that
were pounding them, but they failed to draw the Boer fire upon
themselves.
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