This served us for a few minutes, during which we covered a mile in the direction we were to go; but the light had grown stronger, and it became evident that a body on our right was moving slowly to cut us off.

Before another minute had passed another body was advancing from the left; and, ignorant as I was of military evolutions, it was plain enough to me that, long before we reached them, the two bodies would meet and join in line to impede our advance.
I was right, though I did not feel certain; for the orders were given, "Trot!" and then "Gallop!" and away we went for the closing-up gap in front.
"We shall never do it," said Denham to me as we galloped on.
"We must," I cried, and then no more words were spoken.

To a man we knew, as we went along at a steady hand-gallop, that every body of Boers within sight was aware of what was going on, and moving forward to take us in a gigantic net whose open meshes were closing in.
There was no cheer, but a savage sound as if every man had suddenly uttered the word "Ha!" in token of his satisfaction; for, as the two bodies of the enemy in front were racing over the veldt to meet and crush us as we tried to get through, our trumpeter sounded a blast which sent us along at full speed; and then another call was blown, and we swept round till, going at right angles to our former course, we were riding exactly in the opposite direction to the detachment of Boers on the right.

Our object was, of course, to get round by their rear; and, being an irregular and only partially drilled body, the result of the Colonel's manoeuvre was that the enemy, in their efforts to reverse their advance, fell into confusion.

Some were trying to pull up, others tried to sweep round to right or left and meet us; while, to add to their confusion and turn them into a mob of galloping horsemen, the left body charged full among their own men.