On this same day of skirmishes, July 11th, the Gordons had seen some hot work twenty miles or so to the south of Uitval’s Nek.  Orders had been given to the 19th Brigade (Smith-Dorrien’s) to proceed to Krugersdorp, and thence to make their way north.  The Scottish Yeomanry and a section of the 78th R.F.A. accompanied them.  The idea seems to have been that they would be able to drive north any Boers in that district, who would then find the garrison of Uitval’s Nek at their rear.  The advance was checked, however, at a place called Dolverkrantz, which was strongly held by Boer riflemen.  The two guns were insufficiently protected, and the enemy got within short range of them, killing or wounding many of the gunners.  The lieutenant in charge, Mr. A.J.  Turner, the famous Essex cricketer, worked the gun with his own hands until he also fell wounded in three places.  The situation was now very serious, and became more so when news was flashed of the disaster at Uitval’s Nek, and they were ordered to retire.  They could not retire and abandon the guns, yet the fire was so hot that it was impossible to remove them.  Gallant attempts were made by volunteers from the Gordons—­Captain Younger and other brave men throwing away their lives in the vain effort to reach and to limber up the guns.  At last, under the cover of night, the teams were harnessed and the two field-pieces successfully removed, while the Boers who rushed in to seize them were scattered by a volley.  The losses in the action were thirty-six and the gain nothing.  Decidedly July 11th was not a lucky day for the British arms.

It was well known to Botha that every train from the south was bringing horses for Lord Roberts’s army, and that it had become increasingly difficult for De Wet and his men to hinder their arrival.  The last horse must win, and the Empire had the world on which to draw.  Any movement which the Boers would make must be made at once, for already both the cavalry and the mounted infantry were rapidly coming back to their full strength once more.  This consideration must have urged Botha to deliver an attack on July 16th, which had some success at first, but was afterwards beaten off with heavy loss to the enemy.  The fighting fell principally upon Pole-Carew and Hutton, the corps chiefly engaged being the Royal Irish Fusiliers, the New Zealanders, the Shropshires, and the Canadian Mounted Infantry.  The enemy tried repeatedly to assault the position, but were beaten back each time with a loss of nearly a hundred killed and wounded.  The British loss was about sixty, and included two gallant young Canadian officers, Borden and Birch, the former being the only son of the minister of militia.  So ended the last attempt made by Botha upon the British positions round Pretoria.  The end of the war was not yet, but already its futility was abundantly evident.  This had become more apparent since the junction of Hamilton and of Buller had cut off the Transvaal army