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dashes one of our advance scouts to tell us that a big force of Boers
was just rounding the point. Next minute we were swinging out into the
plain, through the low scrub and thorn bush, and as we did so the Boers
came through the Nek. They must have known exactly where our usual camp
was, and crept up overnight to cut us off. It wasn't by much that they
missed. Three or four loiterers, as it was, had a warm minute or two.
The first single shots grew to a sudden fierce crackle, like the crackle
of a dry thorn branch on the fire, as they came through the bush. But
they came on nevertheless, one horse hit only, and joined us, and we
formed up and started at a steady gallop for the hills beyond the plain,
six miles off; where there was a quite strong camp, established a few
days before, for which we have lately been scouting. The Boers chased us
some way, but we had got a long start, as they came through the rough
ground, and they were never on terms with us. Still it was near enough.
Five minutes earlier and what a slating we should have got!
We were told afterwards that the plan on this side was to draw the Boers
south of the hills, so as to give the cavalry, which was to move
westward just north of the range, a chance of cutting them off. The
cavalry, however, didn't turn up. No one seemed to know what had become
of them, and I daresay they were saying the same of us.
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