THE FIGHTERS.

Evening Post, Volume LXIII, Issue 87, 12 April 1902, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE FIGHTERS.

"What a fight it was! Down there by the Tugelu, glittering in its deep gorge like a strip of silver braid running through tlark green velvet, lay lino upon lino of infantry, behind line upon line fof ridiculous lietlo Avails of ruddy stones. They are there yet, empty of everything but memory, looking like fusty gridirons along tho steep hillside. Over there, in the green thickets between Hlangwani rtnd Monte Cristo, and behind tho rusty little kopjes of Colenso, lurked tho guns, 74 of them, the armament of Jfelson's men-o'-war, lined up in ono mighty broadside, peeping hungrily up under their eyebrows between the trees and through the stono embrasures, as Nelson's old barkers peeped from the portholes, at the very spot upon which we are standing. Across to the right, over the deep bod of tho Langowaohte Spruit, lay nidvo infantry, all jumbled up with themselves and tho Dutchmen amongst the indefinite waves of tho Ondcrbrook Kopjes, ka regular lucky-bag- of fighting men, Vith pointed rifles und keen, eyes squintLug along them bnhind every stone, every tree stump, and in every shadow, all day, all night, and in all directions. "All the way back from Coleuso and Monte Christo wo hud chimed the Hying send, up tho railway, in and out amongst tho tortuous dongas and woody kloofs, up the little kopjes, down the other aide, and round tho corners, sometimes one sido, sometimes another, often behind, never long in tho same placo, never in the same place twice, but laying over a lengthening trail of British dead over tho course, a dreadful paper-chase to tell those behind which way the leading men had gono. Until now, on 22nd February, two years ago, it really seemed aa if the scud had all been forced back against the mouiftaiu, and that the moment had arrived whon it must either bo burst into shreds or overwhelm tho line* of tired yellow maiuiildus crouchiug around it.