78 Pages - The Black Vault

we opened fire on the main body some 1500 metersaway, who had at once halted and opened out. Tothese we did a good deal of damage, causing greatconfusion, which was comforting to watch. The Boerin command of the main body must have gatheredthat the river-bed was clear, for he made a very boldmove; he drove the whole of the waggons, etc.,straight on as fast as possible over the odd 400meters to the river and down the drift into the riverbed,where they were safe from our fire. Their lossesmust have been heavy over this short distance, forthey had to abandon two of their waggons on the wayto the river. This was done under cover of the firefrom a large number of riflemen, who had at oncegalloped up to the river-bank, dismounted, andopened fire at us, and from two guns and a pompom,which had immediately been driven a short distanceback and then outwards to the east and west. It wasreally the best thing he could have done, and if hehad only known that we could not fire on the groundto the south of the drift, he might have come straighton with a rush.We had so far scored; but now ensued a period ofstalemate. We were being fired at from the riverbankon the north, and from ant-hills, etc., pretty well allround,and were also under the intermittent shellfirefrom the two guns. They made most excellentpractice at the huts, which were soon knocked tobits, but not till they had well served their turn. Someof the new white sandbags from inside the huts werescattered out in full view of the enemy, and it wasinstructive to see what a splendid target they made,and how often they were hit, They must have drawna lot of fire away from the actual trenches. Until the56