GRAVE OF LIEUTENANT ROBERTS, V.C., AT CHIEVELEY.
A BOER QUICK-FIRING GUN AND ITS CREW.
Destruction of Colenso road-bridge.
Picket surprised by Boers.
In the days after the battle the Boers displayed their wonted inactivity. They made no attempt to annoy General Buller seriously, and were content with sending small parties of skirmishers south of the Tugela, who hung round the British camp at Chieveley, sniping water parties, patrols, and outposts. On December 19 the naval guns opened a heavy fire on Colenso road-bridge, which was still standing, with the object of destroying it and cutting off the retreat of the Boers who were south of the river. The existence of a Boer bridge north of Hlangwane was not known at this date. After three hours of continuous shelling a projectile struck and exploded a Boer mine, placed in the structure of the bridge, and a whole span was destroyed. From day to day the naval weapons fired a few shots at the Boer lines, whenever a party of the enemy was seen, and thus caused the Boers some loss. But these were the only incidents which broke the repose of the British camp. The soldiers, indeed, chafed at the monotony and inaction; they were eager to bring the war to a close and to return home; they feared, too, for Ladysmith, and would have wished to be allowed perpetually to harass the enemy. On the 20th a picket of seven men belonging to the 13th Hussars was surprised by the Boers, through the negligence of a corporal. The enemy surrounded the handful of men and fired upon them, killing two. The other five escaped. Next day, however, the British cavalry had their revenge; nine Natal Carbineers lay in ambush near the bodies of the slain Hussars, and, when a small party of Boers approached to plunder the dead, fired on them, killing or wounding four.
THE GUN OF THE 66TH BATTERY WHICH WAS SAVED BY CAPT. SCHOFIELD AND LIEUT. ROBERTS (see page [99]).