The night of the 5th was spent by the British troops in entrenching the position they had won, and providing cover against the enemy's shell fire. The Boers, on their part, were busy concentrating men from the east and the west to meet further attacks, and were mounting their 6-inch Creusots on the summit of Doorn Kloof. General Joubert's whole army was rapidly gathering to drive back the bold assailants, who had effected a lodgment in the centre. During the night skirmishing proceeded between the outposts, and with dawn the Boers opened a heavy fire upon Vaal Krantz and the British camps to the south of the Tugela. Several of the shells from the 6-inch guns on Doorn Kloof actually burst within a few yards of the British headquarters. Efforts were made to silence these inconveniently long-range weapons, but without success; and though, in the expressive words of a correspondent, the whole ground round these guns smoked with exploding shells like a lime kiln, the weapons were never hit or disabled. They were mounted on the disappearing principle, and their ugly muzzles only showed for a few seconds on the sky-line, vanishing when their messages of destruction were sped. [Illustration: _O. Eckhardt._] [_After a sketch by E. Prater._ THE DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY CAPTURING VAAL KRANTZ.] [Illustration: [_Photo by C. Knight, Aldershot._ MAJOR-GENERAL LYTTELTON. A short sketch of Major-General Lyttelton's military career is given on page 84. He took a distinguished part in the actions during the "week of battles" before Spion Kop, and commanded the attacking force at Vaal Krantz.] [Sidenote: Renewed attacks.] [Sidenote: [FEB. 6, 1900.] To support General Lyttelton's men on Vaal Krantz, General Hildyard had already advanced to the foot of the hill, and held his Brigade in readiness to move at a moment's notice. Here, as before Spion Kop, and in precisely the same manner, the British advance had come to a standstill. Before, it was Spion Kop that flanked and enfiladed our line of attack; now, it was Doorn Kloof, and, unless this frowning mountain could be stormed, there was little prospect of any success. So councils of war deliberated, while a protracted, aimless battle raged along the front. On the afternoon of February 6, the Boers suddenly attacked Vaal Krantz and gained some ground; for whole minutes, indeed, it appeared as though the hill might be lost. But General Lyttelton speedily rallied his men, and with the Durhams and King's Royal Rifles regained the ground that had been lost by a brilliant bayonet charge. During the day a fresh pontoon bridge was built just under Vaal Krantz, so as to give easier access to that fiercely disputed point. At nightfall General Hildyard's men replaced General Lyttelton's weary battalions, and yet more trenches were constructed. In the darkness the Boers made a third attack upon the hill, but as before were repulsed with some trouble.