The enemy were now very strongly posted at the south end of the
mountain, for there were in their neighbourhood many Kaffir kraals and
huge boulders to protect them from our marksmen. Their fire on us became
still more severe and unceasing, and their bullets whistled and sang
above our heads, or flattened themselves against the stones. We gave at
least as good as we got, and this was so little to their liking that
very soon a few white flags appeared in the kraals on their left wing,
and from that quarter the firing stopped suddenly.

I immediately gave the order to cease fire and to advance towards the
enemy. All at once the English blazed away at us again. On our part, we
replied with vigour. But that did not continue long. In a very short
time white flags fluttered above every kraal--the victory was ours.

I have no wish to say that a misuse of the white flag had taken place. I
was told when the battle was over that the firing had continued, because
the men on our eastern wing had not observed what their comrades on
their left had done. And this explanation I willingly accept.

Our force in this engagement consisted only of three hundred men from
Heilbron, twenty from Kroonstad, and forty or fifty from the
Johannesburg Police, these latter under Captain Van Dam. The Police had
arrived on the battlefield during the fighting, and had behaved in a
most praiseworthy manner.

But I overestimate our numbers, for it was not the _whole_ of the
Heilbron contingent that reached the firing line. We had to leave some
of them behind with the horses at the foot of the kop, and there were
others who remained at the first safe position they reached--a frequent
occurrence at that period.