as the zulu "impis" approach, a contingent of boer horsemen arrives. they advise chard that defending the station is hopeless. they retreat in haste, despite chard's desperate pleas for them to stay. the zulu army approach and then charge. the british open fire, but adendorff informs them that the zulus are only testing the british firepower. witt again predicts the soldiers' inevitable fate, before being driven from the battle with his daughter. chard is concerned that the northern perimeter wall is undermanned and realises that the attack will come from all sides. the defenders are surprised when the zulu warriors open fire on the station with rifles taken from the british dead at isandlwana.