This absence of rifles was their saving.

Possibly they had really been in possession of arms, and had thrown them away under cover of the darkness; but the burghers could not know this, and therefore acted upon the principle that it is better to let ten culprits escape than to condemn an innocent man to death.
General Froneman went on towards the east of Doorndraai.

He was very well satisfied with his bridge-burning and his capture of prisoners, and in his satisfaction he never gave thought to me.
I waited in my hiding-place, expecting that, as we had agreed, the firing would begin from the east, but nothing happened.

I did not care to make an attack on my own account from the west, for my positions were not practicable for the purpose, and being short of men, I feared that such an attempt might end in disaster.
It was now ten o'clock.
A few English scouts appeared on the scene, and four of my men attacked them.

One of the enemy was shot, and the rest taken prisoners.