I made up my mind to turn these boulders to account by using them to build _schanzes_, for I knew that a tremendous bombardment would be opened upon our poor Krupp and Maxim-Nordenfeldt as soon as they made themselves heard.
During the night we built these _schanzes_, and before the sun rose the following morning, the guns were placed in position.
By daybreak the English had crept up to within a short distance of our lines.

It was the Krupp and the Maxim-Nordenfeldt that gave our answer.
But we had to be very sparing of our ammunition, for it was almost exhausted, and it would take at least five days to get a fresh supply from Bloemfontein.
Our arrival on the previous day had made a way of escape for General Cronje.

It is true that he would have been obliged to leave everything behind him, but he and his burghers would have got away in safety.

The British had retreated before our advance, thus opening a road between us and the laager.

That road was made yet wider by the fire from our guns.
But General Cronje would not move.