CHAPTER XIII.
THE CAPTURE OF SURPRISE HILL _Sunday, December 10, 1899._ Just as we were lazily washing our clothes and otherwise enjoying the Sabbath rest and security at about eight in the morning, "Puffing Billy," of Bulwan, began breaking the Fourth Commandment with extraordinary recklessness and rapidity.

He sent nine of his shells into the town, as fast as he could fire them.

"Bloody Mary" flung two over his head and one into his earthwork, but he paid no attention to her protests.

The fact was, the 5th Dragoon Guards, trusting to Boer principles, had left their horses fully exposed to view instead of leading them away under cover as usual at sunrise.

The gunners, probably Germans, thought this was presuming too much on their devotion to the Old Testament, and set their scruples aside for twenty minutes under the paramount duty of slaughtering men and horses.