Amongst the very earliest victims of the murderous fusillade is said to have been the noble and devoted General Wauchope. His body was found well in advance, riddled with bullets. That he ever uttered the words attributed to him, "Don't blame me, my lads, it was not my fault," is not to be believed. The story circulated in camp after the battle, but like so many camp legends seems to have no solid foundation. It was alien to the fallen General's character; alien to his high sense of discipline and to his pride as a British soldier. As he had silently obeyed and executed an order which he may well have feared would prove to be disastrous, so he went silently and uncomplainingly to his death, leaving posterity to do his memory justice. As to the time and manner of his death there is some dispute. Many declared that he fell at the first murderous volley; but one private asserts that he lay down with those of the Black Watch who did not bolt, and after some little time determined to go back to the remnant of his brigade, further towards the rear. He was begged not to do so, but rose with four others and was almost instantly killed. [Sidenote: Collapse of the Highland Brigade.] Those who have read of "heroism," of "fearlessness of death," and all the popular phrases which describe the bearing of the soldier on the field of battle, may deem the true story, which we have given above, ignominious and dishonourable to the Highland Brigade. Yet when the truth is told, such incidents happen on every battlefield, and the best and bravest men are subject to sudden collapse under the conditions that this brigade had to encounter. At dawn it is a physical fact that the intellectual force known as _morale_ is at its feeblest. The men were hungry, drenched, cold, confused, surprised, exposed to a more than decimating fire. Death had come suddenly amongst them at an unexpected moment, with all the awful and heart-rending sights of the battlefield. On every side were dead, and dying, and wounded men--a chaos, a babel of cries dominated by the furious rattle of the Boer musketry. The inevitable happened, and the men, without leaders or guidance, went back instead of forward. There are limits to devotion and self-sacrifice. [Illustration: [_Photo by Horsburgh, Edinburgh._ GENERAL WAUCHOPE. Some particulars of his career are given beneath the equestrian portrait on page 178.] [Sidenote: [DEC. 11, 1899.]