Little jets of dust arose where their bullets struck the ground, men fell around the cannon, and cavalrymen quickly turned and charged toward the spruit.

The shells of the cannon at the drift and on the southern hills fell thicker and thicker among the troops and the air above them was heavy with the light blue smoke of bursting shrapnel.

The patter of the Boer rifles at the spruit increased in intensity and the jets of brown dust became more numerous.

The cavalrymen leaped from their horses and ran ahead to find protection behind a line of rocks.

The intermittent, irregular firing of the Boers was punctuated by the regular, steady reports of British volleys.