Spruit, the country was more in favour of the British, who were now
extended on each flank. The Boers were unable or unwilling to move their
heavy guns from their position on the hill, and being now beyond their
range, and exposed to the fire of four batteries as well as the
infantry, those pressing forward fell back. General French had brought
out a signalling apparatus with him, and the telegraph wires were
tapped, and a message sent to General White asking him for
reinforcements in order to carry the Boer position.

The fight now ceased for a time. A party of the Boers occasionally crept
forward and opened fire, but the Colonial Horse dashed forward and sent
them flying back to the hills. From nine o'clock till a quarter to two
the troops remained idle, but the reinforcements then arrived, a battery
of field artillery, several squadrons of Dragoons, Lancers, and
Colonials, and the Devonshire regiment and Gordon Highlanders, the
infantry being brought up by train. These were under the command of
Colonel Ian Hamilton, who had a thorough knowledge of Boer tactics, and
knew how to handle his troops. It was well that it was so, for, led by a
less experienced commander, they would have suffered terribly in their
advance. While the infantry detrained, the Colonials, followed by the
5th Lancers, rode towards some low hills, whence some parties of Boers
had maintained a distant fire. These were at once scattered. The
infantry marched along some ridges parallel with the railway, but a mile
away, while the Devonshire regiment kept along the low ground by the
line. The 5th Dragoon Guards, with some troops of Colonials and one of
the field batteries, moved forward on the left.

The Manchesters were on the right of the infantry, the Gordons in the
centre, and the Devons on the left, as they set their faces towards the
Boer position. At three o'clock the action began, the Boer riflemen