On Thursday telegrams were received in London describing a very
brilliant little action which took place at Mafeking on the night of October 27th. Commandant Cronje, finding that his attempts to reduce the town by bombardment were un- availing, began to make an advance by "a succession of trenches in echelon." Thereupon Colonel Baden-Powell determined upon a counter-stroke, and sent out Captain Fitzclarence with a squadron of the Protectorate Regiment to clear the trenches. He and his handful of men crept along the veldt under cover of night until they were quite near the chief Boer position. Then at a signal given by a whistle they gave a ringing cheer and charged into the trenches with the bayonet. The rest can best be told in the graphic words of the _Daily Mail correspondent :—
" There was a fearful struggle, the attacking forces catching and bayoneting the Boers under the tarpaulins, where they crouched crying for mercy. At least fifty bayonets got to work, and the havoc they wrought was terrible. For just a moment there was no systematic return fire, but then there was a perfect hailstorm of bullets poured in from the trenches to the rear. Again Fitzclarence's whistle sounded—it was the Cease fire and scatter homeward.' The forces scattered silently, creeping back under a furious fire in the darkness to the appointed rendezvous, where the roll-call was made." Our losses proved to be six killed, one missing, and eleven wounded. Altogether this little episode in the war seems to have been as well planned as it was executed. Since then, though Commandant Cronje has made an unsuccessful attempt to rush the town, the assailants seem to have lost heart.
Previous page
