The troopers were all dismounted, and the scouts followed the example.
The boom of the British guns was continuing unabated. "They can be
getting on but slowly," the officer said. "I am afraid we shall find it
a very tough job. I suppose there is a strong force up there?"

"Over four thousand."

"How do you know?"

"I was up there last night," Chris said, "with three of the others. We
did not go up in these caps, as you may suppose, but in wide-brimmed
hats. We were able to get about without exciting any suspicion whatever.
We found they had six guns and over four thousand men. As we all speak
Dutch fluently there was really no chance of our being detected."

The other officers of the squadron had all gathered round.

"Danger or no danger, it was a very plucky action," their leader said.
"I suppose that was the news you brought in just before the troops
marched off. Well, I wish that we had got our breakfast and the horses a
feed before we started. It is more important for the horses than it is
for us, though I should not be sorry for breakfast myself."

"We have some food in our haversacks, sir. We breakfasted before we
started, and we filled our haversacks with biscuits, thinking that
perhaps they would be welcome, for we knew that none of the troops had
anything to eat before leaving."

"You are very good to offer it," the colonel said. "But we could not eat
while the men have nothing."