There was no victory on
one side or rout on the other--only a steady advance and an orderly
retirement. That night the infantry slept in their fighting line,
going on again at three in the morning, and light broke to find not
only rifles, but the long-silent Boer guns all blazing at the
British advance. Again, as at Colenso, the brunt of the fighting
fell upon Hart's Irish Brigade, who upheld that immemorial
tradition of valour with which that name, either in or out of the
British service, has invariably been associated. Upon the
Lancashire Fusiliers and the York and Lancasters came also a large
share of the losses and the glory. Slowly but surely the inexorable
line of the British lapped over the ground which the enemy had
held. A gallant colonial, Tobin of the South African Horse, rode up
one hill and signaled with his hat that it was clear. His comrades
followed closely at his heels, and occupied the position with the
loss of Childe, their Major. During this action Lyttelton had held
the Boers in their trenches opposite to him by advancing to within
1500 yards of them, but the attack was not pushed further.
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