He still had hopes.

There was a long and tedious zigzagging march through broken ground, with constant harassment from the Boers; and at last the column "walked into a sort of trap," and the Boers "closed in upon it." "Men and horses dropped on all sides.

In the column the feeling grew that unless it could burst through the Boer lines at this point it was done for.

The Maxims were fired until they grew too hot, and, water failing for the cool jacket, five of them jammed and went out of action.

The 7-pounder was fired until only half an hour's ammunition was left to fire with.