a few line up to the big house. At least this was the order before the firing began; after that I do not know what changes took place.

And now the enemy's artillery began to open; where their guns were posted we could not see, but we began to hear the rush of the shells over our heads, and the bang as they burst just beyond. And now what took place I can really hardly tell Sometimes when I recall the scene, it seems as if it lasted for only a few minutes; yet I know, as we lay on the ground, I thought the hours would never pass away, as we watched the gunners still plying their task, firing at the invisible enemy, never stopping for a moment except when now and again a dull blow would be heard and a man fall down, then three or four of his comrades would carry him to the rear. The captain no longer rode up and down; what had become of him I do not know. Two of the guns ceased firing for a time; they had got injured in some way, and up rode an artillery general. I think I see him now, a very handsome man, with straight features and a dark moustache, his breast covered with medals. He appeared in a great rage at the guns stopping fire.

"Who commands this battery?" he cried.

enough. We all jumped up at the report, and fell in almost without the word being given, grasping our rifles tightly, and the leading files peering forward to look for the approaching enemy. This gun was apparently the signal to begin, for now our batteries opened fire all along the line. What they were firing at I could not see, and I am sure the gunners could not see much themselves. I have told you what a haze had come over the air since the morn-you. ing, and now the smoke from the guns settled like a pall over the hill, and soon we could see little but the men in our ranks, and the outline of some gunners in the battery drawn up next us on the slope on our right. This firing went on, I should think, for nearly a couple of hours, and still there was no reply. We could see the gunners-it was a troop of horseartillery-working away like fury, ramming, loading, and running up with cartridges, the officer in command riding slowly up and down just behind his guns, and peering out with his field-glass into the mist. Once or twice they ceased firing to let their smoke clear away, but this did not do much good. For nearly two hours did this go on, and not a shot came in reply. If a battle is like this, said Dick Wake, who was my next-hand file, it's mild work, to say the least. The words were hardly uttered when a rattle of musketry was heard in front; our skirmishers were at it, and very soon the bullets began to sing over our heads, and some The group is before me at this mostruck the ground at our feet. Up to this ment, standing out clear against the backtime we had been in column; we were now ground of smoke, Sir Henry erect on his deployed into line on the ground assigned splendid charger, his flashing eye, his left to us. From the valley or gap on our arm pointing towards the enemy to enleft there ran a lane right up the hill al-force something he was going to say, the most due west, or along our front. This young officer reining in his horse just lane had a thick bank about four feet high, beside him, and saluting with his right and the greater part of the regiment was hand raised to his busby. This for a modrawn up behind it; but a little way up ment, then a dull thud, and both horses the hill the lane trended back out of the and riders are prostrate on the ground. line, so the right of the regiment here left A round shot had struck all four at the it and occupied the open grass-land of saddle line. Some of the gunners ran up the park. The bank had been cut away to help, but neither officer could have at this point to admit of our going in and lived many minutes. This was not the out. We had been told in the morning to first I saw killed. Some time before this, cut down the bushes on the top of the almost immediately on the enemy's artilbank, so as to make the space clear for fir- lery opening, as we were lying, I heard ing over but we had no tools to work something like the sound of steel strikwith; nowever, a party of sappers had ing steel, and at the same moment Dick come down and finished the job. My Wake, who was next me in the ranks, company was on the right, and was thus leaning on his elbows, sank forward on beyond the shelter of the friendly bank. his face. I looked round and saw what On our right again was the battery of ar- had happened; a shot fired at a high eletillery already mentioned; then came a vation, passing over his head, had struck battalion of the line, then more guns, then the ground behind, nearly cutting his a great mass of militia and volunteers and thigh off. It must have been the ball

"I do, Sir Henry," said an officer, riding forward, whom I had not noticed before.

striking his sheathed bayonet which most concealed by the bushes at the top, made the noise. Three of us carried the whence the smoke and their fire could be poor fellow to the rear, with difficulty for the shattered limb; but he was nearly dead from loss of blood when we got to the doctor, who was waiting in a sheltered hollow about two hundred yards in rear, with two other doctors in plain clothes, who had come up to help. deposited our burden and returned to the front. Poor Wake was sensible when we left him, but apparently too shaken by the shock to be able to speak. Wood was there helping the doctors. I paid more visits to the rear of the same sort before the evening was over.

seen proceeding: presently from these bushes on the crest came out a red line, and dashed down the brow of the hill, a flame of fire belching out from the front as it advanced. The enemy hesitated, gave way, and finally ran back in a conWe fused crowd down the hill. Then the mist covered the scene, but the glimpse of this splendid charge was inspiriting, and I hoped we should show the same coolness when it came to our turn. It was about this time that our skirmishers fell back, a good many wounded, some limping along by themselves, others helped. The main body retired in very fair order, halting to turn round and fire; we could see a mounted officer of the guards riding up and down encouraging them to be steady. Now came our turn. For a few minutes we saw nothing, but a rattle of bullets came through the rain and mist, mostly, however, passing over the bank. We began to fire in reply, stepping up against the bank to fire, and stooping down to load; but our brigade-major rode up with an order, and the word was passed through the men to reserve our fire. In a very few moments it must have been that, when ordered to stand, we could see the helmet-spikes and then the figures of the skirmishers as they came on: a lot of them there appeared to be, five or six deep I should say, but in loose order, each man stooping to aim and fire, and then coming forward a little. Just then the brigadier clattered on horseback up the lane. "Now, then, gentlemen, give it them hot," he cried; and fire away we did, as fast as ever we were able. A perfect storm of bullets seemed to be flying about us too, and I thought each moment must be the last; escape seemed impossible, but I saw no one fall, for I was too busy, and so were we all, to look to the right or left, but loaded and fired as fast as I could. How long this went on I know not-it could not have been long; neither side could have lasted many minutes under such a fire, but it ended by the enemy gradually falling back, and as soon as we saw this we raised a tremendous shout, and some of us jumped up on the bank to give them our parting shots. Suddenly the order was passed down the line to cease firing, and we soon discovered the cause; a battalion of the Guards was charging obliquely across from our left across our front. It was, I suspect, their flank attack as much as our fire which had turned back the enemy:

All this time we were lying there to be fired at without returning a shot, for our skirmishers were holding the line of walls and enclosures below. However, the bank protected most of us, and the brigadier now ordered our right company, which was in the open, to get behind it also; and there we lay about four deep, the shells crashing and bullets whistling over our heads, but hardly a man being touched. Our colonel was, indeed, the only one exposed, for he rode up and down the lane at a foot-pace as steady as a rock; but he made the major and adjutant dismount, and take shelter behind the hedge, holding their horses. We were all pleased to see him so cool, and it restored our confidence in him, which had been shaken yesterday. The time seemed interminable while we lay thus inactive. We could not, of course, help peering over the bank to try and see what was going on; but there was nothing to be made out, for now a tremendous thunderstorm, which had been gathering all day, burst on us, and a torrent of almost blinding rain came down, which obscured the view even more than the smoke, while the crashing of the thunder and the glare of the lightning could be heard and seen even above the roar and flashing of the artillery. Once the mist lifted, and I saw for a minute an attack on Box Hill, on the other side of the gap on our left. It was like the scene at a theatre a curtain of smoke all round and a clear gap in the centre, with a sudden gleam of evening sunshine lighting it up. The steep smooth slope of the hill was crowded with the dark-blue figures of the enemy, whom I now saw for the first time -an irregular outline in front, but very solid in rear: the whole body was moving forward by fits and starts, the men firing and advancing, the officers waving their swords, the columns closing up and gradually making way. Our people were al

me.

and it was a splendid sight to see their thick mass of troops, much more numerous steady line as they advanced slowly across than in the morning, and a column was the smooth lawn below us, firing as they moving down to the left of our line, to the went, but as steady as if on parade. We ground now held by the Guards. All this felt a great elation at this moment; it time, although the musketry had slackened, seemed as if the battle was won. Just the artillery fire seemed heavier than ever; then somebody called out to look to the the shells screamed overhead or burst wounded, and for the first time I turned around; and I confess to feeling quite a to glance down the rank along the lane. relief at getting back to the friendly shelThen I saw that we had not beaten back ter of the lane. Looking over the bank, I the attack without loss. Immediately be-noticed for the first time the frightful exefore me lay Lawford of my office, dead on cution our fire had created. The space in his back from a bullet through his fore- front was thickly strewed with dead and head, his hand still grasping his rifle. At badly wounded, and beyond the bodies of every step was some friend or acquaint- the fallen enemy could just be seen - for ance killed or wounded, and a few paces it was now getting dusk-the bear-skins down the lane I found Travers, sitting and red coats of our own gallant Guards with his back against the bank. A ball scattered over the slope, and marking the had gone through his lungs, and blood line of their victorious advance. But was coming from his mouth. I was lifting hardly a minute could have passed in thus him, but the cry of agony he gave stopped looking over the field, when our brigadeI then saw that this was not his major came moving up the lane on foot (I only wound; his thigh was smashed by a suppose his horse had been shot), crying, bullet (which must have hit him when" Stand to your arms, Volunteers! they're standing on the bank), and the blood coming on again;" and we found ourselves streaming down mixed in a muddy puddle a second time engaged in a hot musketry with the rain-water under him. Still he fire. How long it went on I cannot now could not be left here, so, lifting him up remember, but we could distinguish clearly as well as I could, I carried him through the thick line of skirmishers, about sixty the gate which led out of the lane at the paces off, and mounted officers among back to where our camp hospital was in them; and we seemed to be keeping them the rear. The movement must have caused well in check, for they were quite exposed him awful agony, for I could not support to our fire, while we were protected nearly the broken thigh, and he could not restrain up to our shoulders, when I know not his groans, brave fellow though he was; how-I became sensible that something but how I carried him at all I cannot make had gone wrong. "We are taken in out, for he was a much bigger man than flank!" called out some one; and looking myself; but I had not gone far, one of a along the left, sure enough there were stream of our fellows, all on the same dark figures jumping over the bank into errand, when a bandsman and Wood met the lane and firing up along our line. The me, bringing a hurdle as a stretcher, and volunteers in reserve, who had come down on this we placed him. Wood had just to take the place of the Guards, must have time to tell me that he had got a cart given way at this point; the enemy's down in the hollow, and would endeavour skirmishers had got through our line, and to take off his master at once to Kingston, turned our left flank. How the next move when a staff-officer rode up to call us to came about I cannot recollect, or whether the ranks. "You really must not straggle it was without orders, but in a short time in this way, gentlemen," he said; "pray we found ourselves out of the lane and keep your ranks." "But we can't leave drawn up in a straggling line about thirty our wounded to be trodden down and yards in rear of it at our end, that is, die," cried one of our fellows. "Beat off the other flank had fallen back a good deal the enemy first, sir," he replied. "Gentle- more and the enemy were lining the men, do, pray, join your regiments, or we hedge, and numbers of them passing over shall be a regular mob." And no doubt and forming up on our side. Beyond our he did not speak too soon; for besides left a confused mass were retreating, firing our fellows straggling to the rear, lots as they went, followed by the advancing of volunteers from the regiments in line of the enemy. We stood in this way reserve were running forward to help, for a short space, firing at random as fast till the whole ground was dotted with groups of men. I hastened back to my post, but I had just time to notice that all the ground in our rear was occupied by a

as we could. Our colonel and major must have been shot, for there was no one to give an order, when somebody on horseback called out from behind -I think it

must have been the brigadier-"Now, the town - a last desperate attempt to then, Volunteers! give a British cheer, save the day before we left the field. and go at them-charge!" and, with a Our adjutant, who had got separated shout, we rushed at the enemy. Some of from our flank of the regiment in the conthem ran, some stopped to meet us, and fusion, now came up, and managed to for a moment it was a real hand-to-hand lead us, or at any rate some of us, up to fight. I felt a sharp sting in my leg, as I the crest of the hill in the rear, to re-form, drove my bayonet right through the man as he said; but there we met a vast crowd in front of me. I confess I shut my eyes, of volunteers, militia, and waggons, all for I just got a glimpse of the poor wretch hurrying rearward from the direction of as he fell back, his eyes starting out of his the big house, and we were borne in the head, and, savage though we were, the stream for a mile at least before it was sight was almost too horrible to look at. possible to stop. At last the adjutant led But the struggle was over in a second, us to an open space a little off the line of and we had cleared the ground again right fugitives, and there we reformed the reup to the rear hedge of the lane. Had we mains of the companies. Telling us to gone on, I believe we might have recovered halt, he rode off to try and obtain orders, the lane too, but we were now all out of and find out where the rest of our brigade order; there was no one to say what to was. From this point, a spur of high do; the enemy began to line the hedge ground running off from the main plateau, and open fire, and they were streaming we looked down through the dim twilight past our left; and how it came about I into the battle-field below. Artillery fire know not, but we found ourselves falling was still going on. We could see the back towards our right rear, scarce any flashes from the guns on both sides, and semblance of a line remaining, and the now and then a stray shell came screaming volunteers who had given way on our left up and burst near us, but we were beyond mixed up with us, and adding to the con- the sound of musketry. This halt first fusion. It was now nearly dark. On the gave us time to think about what had hapslopes which we were retreating to was a pened. The long day of expectancy had large mass of reserves drawn up in col- been succeeded by the excitement of batumns. Some of the leading files of these, tle; and when each minute may be your mistaking us for the enemy, began firing last, you do not think much about other at us; our fellows, crying out to them to people, nor when you are facing another stop, ran towards their ranks, and in a few man with a rifle have you time to consider moments the whole slope of the hill became whether he or you are the invader, or that a scene of confusion that I cannot attempt you are fighting for your home and to describe, regiments and detachments hearths. All fighting is pretty much mixed up in hopeless disorder. Most of alike, I suspect, as to sentiment, when us, I believe, turned towards the enemy once it begins. But now we had time for and fired away our few remaining car- reflection; and although we did not yet tridges; but it was too late to take aim, quite understand how far the day had fortunately for us, or the guns which the gone against us, an uneasy feeling of selfenemy had brought up through the gap, condemnation must have come up in the and were firing point-blank, would have minds of most of us; while, above all, we done more damage. As it was, we could now began to realize what the loss of this see little more than the bright flashes of battle meant to the country. Then, too, their fire. In our confusion we had we knew not what had become of all our jammed up a line regiment immediately wounded comrades. Re-action, too, set in behind us, and its colonel and some staff- after the fatigue and excitement. For myofficers were in vain trying to make a pas- self, I had found out for the first time that sage for it, and their shouts to us to march besides the bayonet-wound in my leg, a to the rear and clear a road could be bullet had gone through my left arm, just heard above the roar of the guns and the below the shoulder, and outside the bone. confused babel of sound. At last a I remember feeling something like a blow mounted officer pushed his way through, just when we lost the lane, but the wound followed by a company in sections, the passed unnoticed till now, when the bleedmen brushing past with firm-set faces, as ing had stopped and the shirt was sticking if on a desperate task; and the battalion, to the wound. when it got clear, appeared to deploy and advance down the slope. I have also a dim recollection of seeing the Life Guards trot past the front, and push on towards

This half-hour seemed an age, and while we stood on this knoll the endless tramp of men and rumbling of carts along the downs beside us told their own tale. The whole