orce, and intended
holding their position.

Without the arrival of the Johannesburg force in rear of the
Boers--an event which I had been momentarily expecting--I did not
feel justified in pushing a general attack, which would have
certainly entailed heavy losses on my small force.

[When Celliers and Rowlands left them at 11 a.m. they had not
expected anyone. _Vide_ Cellier's report and Colonel H.E. White's
letter.]

[6.15 p.m.]

I accordingly left Inspector Drury with one troop and one Maxim to
keep in check the Boers who were now lining the edge of the plateau
to our left, and placed Colonel Grey with two troops B.B.P., one
12-1/2 pounder, and one Maxim to cover our left flank and continue
firing on the battery and trenches south of the road.

I then made a general flank movement to the right with the remaining
troops.

Colonel Grey succeeded in shelling the Boers out of their advanced
position during the next half-hour, and blew up the battery house.

[Flank movement.]

Under this cover the column moved off as far as the first houses
of the Randfontein group of mines, the Boers making no attempt to
intercept the movement.

Night was now fast approaching, and still there were no signs of the
promised help from Johannesburg. I determined, therefore, to push
on with all speed in the direction of that town, trusting in the
darkness to slip through any intervening opposition.

Two guides were obtained, the column formed in the prescribed night
order of march, and we started off along a road leading direct to
Johannesburg.

At this moment heavy rifle and Maxim fire was suddenly heard from the
direction of Krugersdorp, which lay 1-1/2 miles to the left rear.

We at once concluded that this could only be the arrival of the
long-awaited reinforcements, for we knew that Johannesburg had
Maxims, and that the Staats'-Artillerie were not expected to arrive
until the following morning. To leave our supposed friends in the
lurch was out of the question. I determined at once to move to their
support.

[Long awaited! Why, this was only 6 hours since the cyclists left.]

Leaving the carts escorted by one troop on the road I advanced
rapidly across the plateau towards Krugersdorp in the direction of
the firing, in the formation shown in the accompanying sketch.

After advancing thus for nearly a mile the firing ceased, and we
perceived the Boers moving in great force to meet the column. The
flankers on the right