The total losses were under fifty killed and wounded.

More serious than the enemy's fire was the absence of water, save a very limited supply in a cart.

A message was passed through of the dire straits in which they found themselves, and by the late afternoon the news had reached headquarters.

Lord Roberts instantly despatched the Camerons, just arrived from Egypt, to Bethany, which is the nearest point upon the line, and telegraphed to Gatacre at Springfontein to take measures to save his compromised detachment.

The telegram should have reached Gatacre early on the evening of the 3rd, and he had collected a force of fifteen hundred men, entrained it, journeyed forty miles up the line, detrained it, and reached Reddersberg, which is ten or twelve miles from the line, by 10.30 next morning.