A group of Boers, some of whom are in the act of pressing the clips of five cartridges each into the magazines of their rifles.]
The men--even the company officers--knew nothing of what was intended beyond the fact that they were to march out, and, as they supposed, attack the kopjes. They were given no food before they started and had nothing with them but their emergency ration. Some of them, no doubt, were nervous and highly wrought, with the natural anxiety of men going into battle for the first time against a redoubtable enemy, and thus it was that two rifles were accidentally discharged just before the brigade began its eventful march. About 1 a.m. the head of the column began to move off like a phantom host into the impenetrable darkness. The young moon had set and the obscurity was intense. About half-an-hour after the march began, the night turned from sweltering heat to intense cold and simultaneously a torrential rain descended as a violent thunderstorm broke over the troops. The flashes of lightning were vivid and incessant; they affected the compasses which Major Benson, guiding the column, carried, one in each hand, and the resulting uncertainty delayed the advance. Moreover, the apparently level veldt was found upon closer acquaintance to be full of pitfalls in the darkness. At every moment men stumbled over ant-hills, or boulders, or caught in the six-feet-high Vaal bushes which covered the ground.
Soaked through, chilled to the bone, sleepless, breakfastless, and weary, the Highlanders continued their advance, and each minute the night seemed to the men's anxious eyes to grow blacker. The ground had not been carefully reconnoitred beforehand, although it is a recognised rule that night attacks must only be made over country which has been thoroughly examined by the staff; so that it was difficult to avoid some confusion. On the extreme right could now be seen the flashing of a light; its meaning no one understood, but this much was certain, that it was not shown by a Britisher. It caused a feeling of apprehension, as it revealed that someone amongst the enemy was aware of the march and was following it. On the British left, far ahead in the enemy's position, showed an answering light. It burnt brightly and steadily, and the men watched it with fascinated curiosity. They did not know that at 2 o'clock that morning the enemy had manned the trenches, and was now only waiting their approach to begin the slaughter.