howitzer battery.
It was but dull work in camp. The more impetuous spirits were longing to
be employed in annoying the Boers by frequent surprises at night; but as
these could have achieved no permanent advantage, and must have been
attended with considerable loss of life, Sir Redvers Buller set his face
against any such attacks, and went steadily on with his preparations. As
troops came up anticipations of a certain success when the next forward
movement was made were generally entertained. Chris and his companions
passed the time pleasantly enough. Being old friends they had plenty to
talk about, and occasional scouting expeditions to the east gave them a
certain amount of employment. Not having been engaged in the attack on
Hlangwane, they did not participate in the soreness felt by the rest of
the colonials at their failure to capture the hill, owing to the want of
support from Lord Dundonald's cavalry or Barton's brigade.
The chagrin felt at the mistake that had been made in not making this
the prime object of attack was general, for the Boers could be seen
working unceasingly at their entrenchments. They had not only made a
ford by throwing great quantities of rock and stones into the channel,
but had also built a bridge, so that the force on the hill could be
speedily reinforced to any extent, and what could have been effected on
the day of the attack by half a battalion of infantry would now be a
very serious undertaking even by a whole division.
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