For a week this band of stalwarts held their own against 600 Boers, and were finally relieved by a force from the railway.

All the operations were not, however, as successful as these three defences.

On October 24th a party of cavalry details belonging to many regiments were snapped up in an ambuscade.
On the next day Jacobsdal was attacked, with considerable loss to the British.

The place was entered in the night, and the enemy occupied the houses which surrounded the square.

The garrison, consisting of about sixty men of the Capetown Highlanders, had encamped in the square, and were helpless when fire was opened upon them in the morning.