Leuchars, who reached Arnott on the morning of the 27th with the greater portion of the Mapumulo force, now decided that a reconnaissance in force should take place in the direction of the hill Peyana, some three miles to the south-west of Thring's Post, and two from Hlonono Mission Station. The troops, including a section of C Battery, N.F.A. (Currie); four C.M.R. Maxims (Humphery), and two Maxims and one Rexer, N.M.R., left camp at 9.30 a.m. under the command of Lieut.-Col. Arnott.[265] The N.M.R., 350 (Murray-Smith), were in advance, N.C., 100 (Montgomery), on the left, and B.M.R., 100, supporting. The Carbineers, besides supporting on the left, covered a convoy of waggons then on the way to Kearsney, escorted by a troop B.M.R. After branching off due west from the main road at Thring's Post, some difficulty was experienced in getting the two field guns down a rough incline. These guns, with a troop N.M.R. as escort, took up a position and unlimbered at _C_ (_vide_ plan), which covered some 2,000 yards to right and left front; N.C. took high ground to the left at _D_, from where a deep kloof to their front was commanded; N.M.R. moved in extended order to neck _A_, and halted on the ridges to right and left thereof, with B.M.R. supporting in immediate rear on the right. These dispositions were made owing to the broken nature of the ground, which favoured ambuscade, and had up till then been held daily by the enemy's outposts. The track along which the column had to advance skirted to the right of, and under, Peyana hill (_B_), by which it was commanded. When the troops were engaged occupying the ground referred to, the time now being about noon, some half a dozen of the enemy's decoys were observed on hill _E_ to the west of Peyana, freely exposing themselves. This was almost a certain indication that the enemy was in ambush somewhere, most probably behind Peyana, and overlooking the route along which the troops were moving.