also some loose horses;
five or six of them on the ground threw up their hands and came into
the post. On the ground there remained a mass of kicking horses and
dead or groaning men. The other parties of scouts to east and west had
at once galloped back to the river, where they dismounted under cover
and began to pepper us. Anyway, we had done _something_.

As soon as our immediate enemy were disposed of, we opened fire on the
main body some 1,500 yards away, who had at once halted and opened
out. To these we did a good deal of damage, causing great confusion,
which was comforting to watch. The Boer in command of the main body
must have gathered that the river-bed was clear, for he made a very
bold move; he drove the whole of the wagons, etc., straight on as fast
as possible over the odd 400 yards to the river and down the drift
into the river-bed, where they were safe from our fire. Their losses
must have been heavy over this short distance, for they had to abandon
two of their wagons on the way to the river. This was done under cover
of the fire from a large number of riflemen, who had at once galloped
up to the river-bank, dismounted, and opened fire at us, and also of
two guns and a pompom, which had immediately been driven a short
distance back and then outwards to the east and west. It was really
the best thing he could have done, and if he had only known that we
could not fire on the ground to the south of the drift, he might have
come straight on with a rush.

We had so far scored; but now ensued a period of stalemate. We were
being fired at from the river-bank on the north, and from anthills,
etc., pretty well all round, and were also under the intermittent
shell-fire from the two guns. They made most excellent practice at the
huts, which were soon knocked to bits, but not till they had well
served their turn. Some of the new white sandbags from inside the huts
were scattered out in full view of the enemy, and it was instructive
to see what a splendid target they made for rifle-fire, and how often
they were hit. They must have drawn a lot of fire away from the actual
trenches. Until the Boers discovered that they could advance south
from the drift without being under rifle-fire from our position, they
were held up.

Would they discover it? As they had ridden all round us by now, well
out of range, they must know all about us and our isolation.

After dark, by which time we had one man killed and two wounded