The latter, who were much superior in numbers, manoeuvred to cut him off, but the arrival of two companies of the North Lancashire Regiment turned the scale in our favour.

We lost three killed and twenty-one wounded in the skirmish.

The Boer loss is unknown, but their commander Botha was slain.
On November 4th Commandant Wessels formally summoned the town, and it is asserted that he gave Colonel Kekewich leave to send out the women and children.

That officer has been blamed for not taking advantage of the permission--or at the least for not communicating it to the civil authorities.

As a matter of fact the charge rests upon a misapprehension.