On the back of my note these words had been written: "We refuse to surrender." I instantly opened a hot fire upon them, bringing the Krupp as well as the Mausers into action.

But the reply of the enemy was no less severe.
We had no cover.

There was only a shallow _pan_[46]--so shallow that it scarcely afforded protection to the horses' hoofs! A thousand paces to the north-west of the railway I had observed a deep _pan_ where the horses would have had better cover, but even there our men would have been just as exposed as they now were.

I had decided against taking up my position in this _pan_, because I should have been obliged to cross the line to reach it, and in doing so should have run the risk of being observed by the English.
Thus it was that the burghers were compelled to lie flat down in order to afford as little mark as possible to the enemy.

But the men who served the Krupp were naturally unable to do this; and, seeing that the gun must be moved, I gave this order: "Inspan the gun, gallop it three thousand paces back; then blaze away again as fiercely as you can!" Under a hail of bullets the horses were attached to the gun.