This was the signal for a deadly volley from the Boers. To the amazement of the Highlanders the ground just in front of them seemed to burst into a sheet of flame, not 100 yards away. As a matter of fact the distance was 400 yards or a little more, but in the semi-darkness of the dawn, now at last breaking over the hills, and in the bewilderment of the complete surprise, the enemy seemed much nearer. The fire was such as troops in close order had never before in history experienced. From the magazine rifles of the Boers poured a continuous stream of lead upon the struggling, confused mass of British soldiers, "packed like sardines." The disorder was terrible; in the darkness the men could not discern their officers or sergeants and knew not whom to obey or how and where to rally. All manner of cries and orders were heard: "Lie down!" "Extend!" "Fix bayonets!" "Charge!" "Retire!" "No, Forward!" Two companies did charge, but, stung by the hail of bullets from in front and fired into also by the excited men behind, had to fall back. The fatal order "Retire," pronounced by some unauthorised person, was repeated and caught up. It accorded with the dictates of instinct and of panic fear, and a great part of the Black Watch bolted back in the wildest disorder, breaking the ranks of the Seaforths and throwing them also into dire confusion. [Sidenote: Accounts of the fighting.] [Sidenote: [DEC. 11, 1899.] The accounts of the soldiers who fought give a vivid picture of that terrible scene. "The whole of the hillside was lit up with the most damnable discharge of rifles that anyone can possibly imagine," says a colour-sergeant of the Black Watch. "They seemed to be formed up in tiers all up the hillside, and were pouring magazine fire into us at a terrific rate. Then came all sorts of shouts--'Lie down!' 'Charge!' 'Extend!' and of the whole brigade there was only the front rank of 'A' Company of ours that could have used their rifles, as everybody else was straight in rear of them. Well, two companies in front did charge, but were stopped by barbed wire fences and entanglements fifteen yards from the trenches and mostly shot down. Others broke to right and left or retired, and after waiting about a minute for a bullet to hit me, as it appeared impossible to escape one, and as it did not arrive, I thought perhaps it was advisable to go with the remainder. With proper handling we could have cleared the Boers out in two hours; as it was, we were taken into a butcher's shop and left there." A Seaforth Highlander says:--"When we started to extend they opened fire on us, and such a hailstorm of bullets I don't want to experience again. It was seen that someone had blundered. We were fairly at their mercy; we were in the wrong position and had to retire. And what a rabble--bullets in thousands coming after us; men falling right and left. We rallied up in line and made one effort, and stuck to it, advancing and firing all the time."