A red flag was hung out, and in answer to the signal the horses were headed in for the gateway at once.
That was sufficient.

The Boers, instead of riding along across our position, suddenly swooped round, and came on, five hundred strong, at full gallop, getting so near that they would have cut off some of our valuable horses had not fire been opened upon them from the walls, quite in accordance with the Boers' own tactics; our men lying down and taking deliberate aim, with the result that saddles were emptied and horses galloping riderless in all directions.
However, the party gradually came nearer, till they found that our firing grew hotter and more true; then, utterly discouraged by its deadly effect, they wheeled round again, and went off as hard as their horses could gallop.
"Let them try the same ruse again," said the Colonel, as he turned from where he had limped to watch the little action, and stood closing his glass.

"Let them come again if they like; but they had the worst of it this time.

Splendidly done, my lads! Excellent!" The Boers rode right away, then turned and rode back as if about to renew the attack; but suddenly they drew rein, and a small body came on at a canter, one of them waving a handkerchief.
"Yes," said the Colonel sternly.

"Hold your fire, my lads; they want to pick up their wounded." This was soon proved to be the case, and we looked on, thinking how much better their wounded fared than did ours.
"Yes," said Denham when I said something of the kind to him; "but I hope they are behaving decently to our poor lads, wounded and prisoners.
Let's give them credit for a little humanity." The Colonel waited till the enemy had retired with their injured men, leaving a couple of dead horses on the plain.