With iron control Rose kept the gradually dwindling company in a slow, stubborn withdrawal across the yard toward the nascent train. The strange dark creatures pressed the Guards hard, but their advance was hampered by several factors that prevented them from overwhelming the smaller unit in short order. The relatively narrow frontage of the road allowed only a few of them at a time to filter onto the yard and join the fray. A slower rate of fire meant for every musket "ball" that went out, a breechloader-wielding pony could send back four or five round-nose bullets. Accuracy seemed lacking, whether due to manufacturing quality, poor training, or both. The westering sun was in their eyes. Black-powder smoke clouded the field ever more densely.