At the beginning of the action I found this out, but could not then get them from him as he was separated from me.

Hans, always careless in small matters, was really to blame as he ought to have seen that I had the cartridges, or at any rate to have carried them himself.

In short, it was one of those accidents that will happen.

There is nothing more to be said.
After a still longer consultation our enemies advanced on us for the fourth time, but very slowly.

Meanwhile I had been taking stock of the position.