At night I heard the guns go out eastward along the Helpmakaar road to take up a position on our right.

At three I was up in the morning darkness, and riding slowly northward with the brigade that was to form our centre, up the familiar Newcastle road.

We had not far to go.

The Boers save us a lot of exertion.

A mile and a half--certainly less than two miles--from the outside of the town was our limit.