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Roberts's
men sprang from their horses, and with the Burmese and New
Zealanders flung themselves down in a skirmish line. The cavalry
moved to the left to find some drift by which the donga could be
passed, and out of chaos there came in a few minutes calm and a
settled purpose.
It was for Q battery to cover the retreat of the force, and most
nobly it did it. A fortnight later a pile of horses, visible many
hundreds of yards off across the plain, showed where the guns had
stood. It was the Colenso of the horse gunners. In a devilish sleet
of lead they stood to their work, loading and firing while a man
was left. Some of the guns were left with two men to work them, one
was loaded and fired by a single officer. When at last the order
for retirement came, only ten men, several of them wounded, were
left upon their feet. With scratch teams from the limbers, driven
by single gunners, the twelve-pounders staggered out of action, and
the skirmish line of mounted infantry sprang to their feet amid the
hail of bullets to cheer them as they passed.


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