Broadwood’s withdrawal gave C. De Wet the opportunity which he could hardly have dared hope would ever be offered to him.  He was reinforced by his brother, and at once drew his spoils out of the spruit and easily got away with them to the right bank of the Modder, where at noon he met the advanced guard of Olivier’s force.  Although he was in presence not only of Broadwood’s force, but also almost in touch with a division of infantry and a brigade of mounted infantry his movements were so little impeded that he was able to bring two of the captured guns back to the left bank, and to bring them into action against a detachment of mounted infantry which was holding Waterval Drift.

Martyr reached Boesman’s Kop at 7 a.m., where in the course of the morning he was joined by Colvile, whose Division was also on its way to Waterval Drift.  Broadwood, who was about two miles away, was ordered by Colvile to come to him, but he refused to leave his command so long as there was any chance of recovering the guns.  He technically committed a breach of discipline, but Lord Roberts subsequently approved of his action.  He requested Colvile to advance against the spruit, but the message was not delivered; and Colvile said that it would not have modified his dispositions.  He had already refused to listen to the obvious suggestion made by his staff that he should go to Broadwood, who after waiting for two hours in the expectation that something would be done by the infantry division, gave up hope and retired towards Springfield.

Colvile’s appreciation of the situation was that it would have been useless to pursue De Wet’s mounted troops with infantry.  He therefore carried out the letter of his instructions from Lord Roberts, and, seeing that Broadwood’s column was apparently safe, went on towards Waterval Drift:  whither also Martyr had already sent the greater portion of the mounted infantry.  Thus the brothers De Wet gained not only an actual, but also a moral success of the greatest importance to their cause, and took away the prizes they had so unexpectedly won, under the eyes of a strong British force helplessly watching the commandos trailing away across the veld.

Waterval Drift had been indicated to Colvile and Martyr as their objective by Lord Roberts, and they considered that it was their duty to make for it.  They did not, however, recognize that instructions must be read in the light of the information at the disposal of the superior officer at the moment of issue, and they adhered to them pedantically.[42] Lord Roberts could not have anticipated Broadwood’s plight when he ordered Colvile and Martyr to Waterval Drift.