at, the
ponies, they could already partially destroy. But here, Moeller,
refusing the requests of his subordinates to be allowed to open fire
on the closely-packed ponies on Talana, first despatched a squadron
under Major Knox towards the rear of Talana, then himself quitted his
vantage ground and lined up his force in some plough land towards
Schultz' farm, and later in the open veld astride of the Landman's
Drift road, two and a half miles in rear of the centre of the Boer
position. Whilst moving in accordance with these dispositions, a
section of the Dublin Fusiliers mounted infantry, turning aside to
assail a party of Boers in a small farmhouse on the flank, captured
seven of them.

[Sidenote: Knox's happy charge.]

Meanwhile the squadron under Knox, reconnoitring towards the rear of
Smith's Nek, had been harassed by hostile patrols on its left flank.
These were speedily dispersed with a loss of ten prisoners by the
charge of a troop. But other and stronger patrols coming up from the
direction of Landman's Drift hung so persistently on the flank that a
charge by the whole squadron was necessary. It was completely
successful, two of the enemy being killed and about twenty-five
captured. The other patrols then drew off, and the squadron, finding
nothing more to do, returned to hand over the prisoners. But Moeller,
seeing the enemy swarming about the rear of Lennox Hill, at once
ordered Knox out again in that direction, this time with two squadrons
and a troop, directing him to get behind the hill, which, in
prolongation of Lennox Hill to the south, overlooks the coalfields on
one side and on the other abuts on the heights of Halifax.

[Sidenote: Moeller's surrender.]

He himself remained out in the open with his diminished force of
mounted infantry and two troops of cavalry. Now the enemy were
quitting Talana and Lennox Hills in numbers which increased
momentarily, and when the mounted infantry opened fire upon them, they
began to converge on the insignificant party which barred the road to
safety. Moeller at length perceived his danger, and commencing a series
of rapid retirements towards the northern spur of Impati, fixed his
only hope on the possibility of riding completely around that
mountain, outwork though it was of the main Boer army in its descent
from the frontier. In a spruit, a branch of the Sand river, which runs
through Schultz' farm, the Maxim, outpaced and overdriven, stuck fast,
and it was promp