Two of them craned their long inquisitive necks up and exchanged repartees with the big Creusot.

And so it was that the weary and dispirited British troops heard a crash which was louder and sharper than that of their field guns, and saw far away upon the distant hill a great spurt of smoke and flame to show where the shell had struck.

Another and another and another--and then they were troubled no more.

Captain Hedworth Lambton and his men had saved the situation.

The masterful gun had met its own master and sank into silence, while the somewhat bedraggled field force came trailing back into Ladysmith, leaving three hundred of their number behind them.