by the end of the day, the trapped troopers were running low on ammunition. his own ammunition supply running short, beyer ordered a withdrawal and had dawson withdraw his men under covering fire to avoid encirclement. day noticed two wounded men caught out in the open some distance from their position, exposed to enemy fire and unable to move. assisted by sergeant john denny, who helped support one man, day carried the other on his back through "a hail of bullets so thick it seemed 'no one could pass this open rocky space alive'" to safety.