On the 10th General Buller's force, marching over the wide veldt, reached the junction of Gans Vlei, some ten miles north, while General Hildyard's crossed the pass and concentrated on Klip River, situated some fifteen miles due west of Laing's Nek, and in face of some rugged country on the way to Volksrust. The Dutchmen were there congregating, and preparing in the Almond's Nek region to intercept the passage. The South African Light Horse, before the arrival of the main column, had captured a useful kopje, and they, and some squadrons of the Irregulars, made a dashing attack on the mass of Dutchmen who were barring the main road. A most animated engagement was fought, which cost the South African Light Horse six killed and eight wounded. The enemy after the encounter slowly retired, harassed by the 2nd Cavalry Brigade. The main column, frost-bitten and weary, bivouacked in the shadow of the captured kopje, the 11th Brigade immediately below, and further down, the 10th Brigade, while still lower down came the 2nd Brigade, commanded now by General Hamilton in place of General Hildyard, who, as we know, was raised to divisional rank. On the 11th the advance was continued in the direction of Volksrust, and General Hildyard (Fifth Division) made a brilliant frontal attack against the Boers, who were now holding a formidable position with several guns at the east of Almond's Nek, which place stands about seven miles north of Gans Vlei. After the artillery had been pounding a dangerous hoop of ridges for a considerable time, filling the whole atmosphere with reverberating roars, the 10th Brigade, the Dorsets in the firing line, the Middlesex in support, advanced on the right of the ridge beyond which were the Mounted Infantry, while the 2nd Brigade, the East Surreys and Queen's leading, treading the open, made a bold dash for the foe. These, concealed among the steep boulders, proceeded to pour a thunderous and fiery welcome on all who approached. The stertorous rampage continued for hours. But, fortunately, in their fastnesses our big guns--two 4.7-in. monsters and six little "handy" 12-pounders--eventually searched them out, and subsequently a gallant charge--one of the most brilliant in the campaign--the charge of the Dorsets who, in a blizzard of lead, swarmed upon the position with fixed bayonets, decided the fortunes of the day. The superb manner in which those seasoned warriors launched themselves at miles and miles of entrenched positions--a veritable phalanx of church steeples--was beyond praise. Their great assault cost the valiant regiment ten killed and forty wounded. Some Boer prisoners were taken, and five or six Dutchmen bit the dust. But most of them had bolted before the gleam of the bayonets, and in their flight had set fire to the grass so as to render pursuit impossible. Simultaneously with the charge of the Dorsets, the 2nd Brigade was doing identical work, and doing it splendidly.