About ten o'clock in the morning
There were left in the camp two guns and about eight hundred white and nine hundred native troops , also some transport riders such as myself and a number of miscellaneous camp-followers . I saw him go from between the curtains of one of my wagons where I had made my bed on the top of a pile of baggage . Indeed I had already dressed myself at the time , for that night I slept very ill because I knew our danger , and my heart was heavy with fear . About ten o'clock in the morning Colonel Durnford , whom I have mentioned already , rode up with five hundred Natal Zulus , about half of whom were mounted , and two rocket tubes which , of course , were worked by white men . This was after a patrol had reported that they had come into touch with some Zulus on the left front , who retired before them . As a matter of fact these Zulus were foraging in the mealie fields , since owing to the drought food was very scarce in Zululand that year and the regiments were hungry . I happened to see the meeting between Colonel Pulleine , a short , stout man who was then in command of the camp , and Colonel Durnford who , as his senior officer , took it over from him , and heard Colonel Pulleine say that his orders were `` to defend the camp , '' but what else passed between them I do not know .