THE MAIN FIGHT. 367 thus far successfully along the course of the Post- c ii a p. road came on marching straight for the Barrier to '. — attack its defenders in front, whilst moreover, to *^^^^^'>^- Attack turn their right flank, another column emerged <iireeted <-' ° against tlifi from the bed of the Quarry Ravine, by the line of Barrier an.i the old country track. The defenders, however, ou its right; whilst sheltered at one place by the Barrier, were advantaged elsewhere more or less by the thick- ness of the brushwood around them; and the fire of resolute soldiery thus disposed upon an ex- tended front, proved so terrible to the dense bodies of infantry debouching from the Eavine that, after and re- enduring the ordeal for a while, they lost the heart or the power to drive their enterprise home ; and no determined body of troops at this time brought its onslaught so close as to come hand to hand with our people at their favourite ridge of loose stones. On the right of the Barrier our troops had no other cover than that which the brush- wood afforded, but by fire poured into the column, and the bayonet either used or in readiness against every closer assailant, they found means to throw off the weight of the mass directed against them, and drove it back into the gorge. Thus our people altogether defeated the two- fold endeavour to force their main-picket line ; but at the very time of his discomfiture, the enemy Need of succours made himself formidable by not only shelling the victors, but throwing out a large number of rifle- men, whose fire proved destructive ; and although for the moment victorious, General Goldie could not help seeing that the small force he wielded
