What would happen if the enemy burst rudely through and pushed straight for the town?
It was the more possible, as the Boer artillery had now proved itself to be far heavier than ours.

That terrible 96-pounder, serenely safe and out of range, was plumping its great projectiles into the masses of retiring troops.

The men had had little sleep and little food, and this unanswerable fire was an ordeal for a force which is retreating.

A retirement may very rapidly become a rout under such circumstances.

It was with some misgivings that the officers saw their men quicken their pace and glance back over their shoulders at the whine and screech of the shell.