Battles of the nineteenth century . ged nearer the hills, and its heavylyddite shells seemed to be bursting well. To-wards noon Lord Methuen brought up theGordons from the camp, and sent them to thesupport of the Highlanders. The balloon hadbeen sent up from a knoll near the camp, andthe officer in the car reported that the enemywas also receiving reinforcements, some from orders were sent to the Highland Brigade, nowstrengthened by the Gordons, to advance. The long kilted lines rose and pushed forward,the Seaforths and Gordons leading. But thisnew attempt failed even more disastrously thanthe
Battles of the nineteenth century . ged nearer the hills, and its heavylyddite shells seemed to be bursting well. To-wards noon Lord Methuen brought up theGordons from the camp, and sent them to thesupport of the Highlanders. The balloon hadbeen sent up from a knoll near the camp, andthe officer in the car reported that the enemywas also receiving reinforcements, some from orders were sent to the Highland Brigade, nowstrengthened by the Gordons, to advance. The long kilted lines rose and pushed forward,the Seaforths and Gordons leading. But thisnew attempt failed even more disastrously thanthe attack in the early morning. There aretimes when, exhausted by the fatigue and ex-posure, crushed by heavy and sudden loss, anddeprived of that confidence in their leaderswhich is a pledge of victory, even the bravestmen will break down and give way to suddenpanic. It has happened to the pick of everyarmy in the world. It was the fate of the High-landers at Magersfontein. As they moved for-ward they were met with a sudden blast of. < OS u O a:w2wo io6 THE BOER WAR. Mauser fire in fnmt and flank ; the bullets sweptalong like a storm ot hailstones. The advancewas checked, and then men began to turn, andnearly the whole brigade rushed back. Onlythe Gordons made a stand, and they had latelycome into action. They had not been caughtin the death-trap in the early morning, and theywere not exhausted by lying out for eight hours^ under fire on the sun-scorched veldt. For some time the story of this reverse waskept back by the military censorship. Thetelegrams told only of the slaughter of theHighlanders at dawn. They said nothing ofthis incident of the midday battle. Even theletters of the correspondents were in some casesopened, and the story of the second attack cutout of tliem. But some narratives of the battlewere allowed to pass through telling the plaintruth. The correspondent of the Murniiig Postwatched the advance from a knoll where a batteryof horse artillery had taken up
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