Through the long day a desperate duel was maintained between the two lines of riflemen.

Colonel Cuningham and Major Stubbs were killed while endeavouring to recover the ground which had been lost.

Hovel and Bartholomew continued to encourage their men, and the British fire became so deadly that that of the Boers was dominated.
Under the direction of Hacket Pain, who commanded the nearest post, guns of J battery were brought out into the open and shelled the portion of the kopje which was held by the Boers.

The latter were reinforced, but could make no advance against the accurate rifle fire with which they were met.

The Bisley champion of the battalion, with a bullet through his thigh, expended a hundred rounds before sinking from loss of blood.
It was an excellent defence, and a pleasing exception to those too frequent cases where an isolated force has lost heart in face of a numerous and persistent foe.