Then, Almost Before It
Had Drawn Up At The Ladysmith Siding, There Had Sprung From It A
Crowd Of Merry Bearded Fellows, With Ready Hands And Strange Sea
Cries, Pulling And Hauling, With Rope And Purchase To Get Out The
Long Slim Guns Which They Had Lashed On The Trucks.
Singular
carriages were there, specially invented by Captain Percy Scott,
and labouring and straining, they worked furiously to get the
12-pounder quick-firers into action.
Then at last it was done, and
the long tubes swept upwards to the angle at which they might hope
to reach that monster on the hill at the horizon. Two of them
craned their long inquisitive necks up and exchanged repartees with
the big Creusot. And so it was that the weary and dispirited
British troops heard a crash which was louder and sharper than that
of their field guns, and saw far away upon the distant hill a great
spurt of smoke and flame to show where the shell had struck.
Another and another and another - and then they were troubled no
more. Captain Hedworth Lambton and his men had saved the situation.
The masterful gun had met its own master and sank into silence,
while the somewhat bedraggled field force came trailing back into
Ladysmith, leaving three hundred of their number behind them. It
was a high price to pay, but other misfortunes were in store for us
which made the retirement of the morning seem insignificant.
In the meantime we may follow the unhappy fortunes of the small
column which had, as already described, been sent out by Sir George
White in order, if possible, to prevent the junction of the two
Boer armies, and at the same time to threaten the right wing of the
main force, which was advancing from the direction of Dundee, Sir
George White throughout the campaign consistently displayed one
quality which is a charming one in an individual, but may be
dangerous in a commander.
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