But listen! There is the crack of rifles in the distance! That must be
the sound of the enemy's fire on General Froneman. Again, and yet again,
the sound meets my ears. Then all is quiet once more.

It was still two hours before the sun would rise, and I took full
advantage of the opportunities which the darkness gave me. I ordered
four of my burghers to approach as close to the station as was possible,
and to find out everything they could about the enemy's position.
Following my directions, they crept with extreme caution towards the
English lines, until only a hundred paces separated them from the
station. They returned before it was light, and brought back word that
unless the enemy had thrown up unusually high _schanzes_, there must be
an untold quantity of provisions piled up there. Everything had been
very quiet, and they had seen no one stirring.

The day now began to dawn, and as soon as it was light I sent a message
to the enemy demanding their surrender. The answer came back at once. 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. Whilst
this was being done, I ordered my men to fire upon the English
entrenchments with redoubled energy, and thus, if possible, prevent the
enemy from taking careful aim.

Incredible though it may appear, Captain Muller got the gun away without
a single man or horse being hit. When h