The guns had moved up; the enemy were below us and before us, open to the swift massacre which well-handled artillery can inflict upon demoralised masses of men. But the guns did not open; the enemy had hoisted the white flag, and by this shameful ruse covered the retreat. A great opportunity was lost. Worse still was to follow. The 18th Hussars and mounted infantry had been despatched to work round the enemy's flank; in attempting this a squadron of cavalry and most of the mounted infantry were surrounded by overwhelming forces of Boers and captured. Thus, though the British infantry had fought gloriously, and given freely of its life-blood, the success was an almost fruitless one. The victory did, indeed, save the British force from annihilation, and showed what Britons, well led, could do; beyond that it had no results. It was purchased, too, at a great price. Forty-seven British dead and 221 wounded strewed the slopes of Talana; 208 of the flanking cavalry and mounted infantry were missing or prisoners. [Sidenote: [OCT. 20-24, 1899.] [Sidenote: Yule's march.] The battle won, ammunition for another fight was wanting. Ladysmith was cut off; on the 21st Joubert showed in force to the north, and two big 40-pounders, to which the British had nothing that could effectively reply, began to bombard the camp. A new position was taken up to the south of Dundee, out of range of the enemy's big guns. Hence, on the 22nd, General Yule, who had succeeded to the command after General Symons' fall, hearing of the victory of Elandslaagte, marched with a detachment to intercept the flying Boers. The task was too serious a one for his small force, and he had to return. So dangerous was his position growing hour by hour, that late that evening he determined to retreat. The night was rainy and misty; at 9 p.m. he marched out with all his transport, abandoning his camp and his wounded, even the stricken Sir Penn Symons, and set his face for Beith. He was not molested; on the 23rd, with beating hearts, the little brigade of Britishers, now only 4,000 strong, crossed the difficult pass through the Biggersberg, where a single handful of Boers might well have barred all passage, and brought about a terrible disaster: the pass, however, was unguarded. Thereafter the way was plain. On the 24th Sir George White's guns were heard; next day the advance of the column gained touch with the main British force. On this day General Symons died in the enemy's hands, and was buried sadly at night by a small body of Englishmen and English sympathisers in Dundee. A message from our gracious Queen and well-won promotion came too late for his dying ears. [Illustration: _R. Caton Woodville._] [_From photo taken on the Battlefield._ GORDONS ADVANCING AT ELANDSLAAGTE.]