marked
'D' and
'E.' However, no evidence of artillery or excessive force was noted.
Courtney G.' Lieutenant-Colonel Officer Commanding NCG, In the
Field.
EXTRACT MADE FROM THE BATTLE ORDERS OF GENERAL SIR RED VERS BULLER
VC. MADE AND SIGNED ON THE NIGHT OF DECEMBER 19TH 1899.
The force commanded by Brigadier Lyttleton will advance on and capture
the village of Colenso. Thereafter it will seize and cross the metal
bridge, and drive the enemy from the kopjes on the far bank.
(See attached Map. They lay in the grass, side by side, and the dew
had soaked through the backs of their tunics. The night was still and
silent.
No clouds above and the fat stars were very bright. Ahead Of them the
silver smear of the Milky Way threw the silhouette of the Tugela
heights into bold relief, gave it an aspect of brooding menace.
Saul yawned loudly, and immediately Sean was forced to do the same.
Though they had not slept that night, it was not the weariness-but the
symptom of nerves wound tight at the prospect of going in against the
Boer guns . . .
'Another hour and a half until dawn,' Saul whispered, and Sean grunted.
There was no profit in counting the hours. At forty-seven minutes past
six the sun would rise, and from behind them the British Army would
move forward across the brown grass plain.
Once more Sean rose to his knees and swept the ground before them with
his eyes, letting them move slowly along the bank of the TUgela,
picking up the loom of the steel road bridge a hundred paces ahead of
them, accounting for each bush on this bank, that they had not
multiplied or moved. Then satisfied, he sank down again. 7,
'My God, it's cold! ' He could feel Saul shivering beside him.
'It will warm up quite soon.' Sean grinned in the darkness as he
answered. The clear night sky had allowed yesterday's warmth to
escape, the grass and their clodung were wet, even the steel of the
rifles was painfully cold to touch-but Sean had long ago learned to
ignore physical discomfort. He could, when necessary, lie completely
motionless while tsetse flies settled on his neck and sank their
red-hot needles into the soft skin behind his ears. Nevertheless, it
was a relief when the false dawn showed and it was time to move.
'I'll go in now,' he whispered.
'Good luck! I'll have breakfast ready when you come back.
This was a job for one man. A job that Sean did not relish.
They had made certain that there were no enemy on this side of the
river, now at the last minute when it was too late for the Boers to
alter their dispositions-someone had to cross and find out in what
strength they were holding the bridge. A couple of Boer Maxims sited
to command the bridge at short range, or even demolition charges set
ready to blow, would mean that the chances of success instead of being
slim would be non-existent.
Sean slung his rifle across his back and began crawling forward through
the grass. TWice he stopped to listen briefly, but there was little
