About twelve o’clock
This Kafir said that he had been watching the fight from a mountain ; that the English were completely hemmed in and fighting well , but that `` their arms were tired , '' and they would all be killed at night-time . The Boers , he said , were not suffering at all -- the English could not `` shoot straight . '' After hearing this they passed a sufficiently miserable day and evening . About twelve o'clock that night , however , a native spy despatched by Mr. Croft returned with the report that the English general had won safely back to camp , having suffered heavily and abandoned his wounded , many of whom had died in the rain , for the night after the battle was wet . Then came another long pause , during which no reliable news reached them , though the air was thick with rumours , and old Silas was made happy by hearing that large reinforcements were on their way from England . `` Ah , Bessie , my dear , they will soon sing another song now , '' he said in great glee ; `` and what 's more , it 's about time they did . I ca n't understand what the soldiers have been about -- I ca n't indeed . ''