[Slackftp-main] E sides. Towards evening my head got worse, and its rhythmic throbbing seem

[Whisenhunt I. <me...@t-...>]

The south of it, by men standing up and firing at that level, but
towards midnight I was forced to withdraw them into
the trenches, after several casualties, as the enemy then apparently
woke
up and kept up a furious rifle-fire upon us for over an hour. During
this time
the guns went through some mysterious evolutions. At first we got it
very hot from the north, where the guns had been all along. Then
suddenly a gun was opened on us away from the southwest, and we were
shelled for a short time from both sides. After a little the shelling on
the north ceased, and continued from the southwest only for twenty
minutes. After this the guns ceased, and the rifle-fire also gradually
died away. When
day dawned not a living soul was
to be seen; there were the dead men, horses, and the deserted wagons.

I feared a trap, but gradually came to the conclusion the Boers had
retired. After a
little we discovered the river-bed was deserted
as well, but the Boers had not retired. They had discovered the dead
ground, and under the mutually supporting fire of their guns, which had
kept us to our trenches, had all _crossed the drift_ and trekked south.
True,
we were not captured, and had very
few losses, and had severely mauled the enemy, _but_ they had crossed
the drift. It must have evidently been of great importance to them to go
on, or they would have attempted to capture us, as they were about 500
to our 50. I had failed in my duty. During the next few hours we buried
the dead, tended the wounded, and took some

well-earned rest, and I had ample leisure to consider my failure and the
causes. The lessons I derived from the fight were: 20. Beware of convex
hills and _dead ground_. Especially
take care to have some
place where the enemy _must_ come under your fire. Choose the exact
position of your firing-trenches, with
your eye at the level of the men who will eventually use them. 21. A
hill may not, after all, though it has "command," be the best place to
hold necessarily.
22. A conspicuous "bluff" trench may cause the