In the third dream, all the previous occurrences continue. He mounts guards, and sends men to round up all the surrounding farmers and their families. He chooses a new camp, and the detainees help the men dig the trenches. They guard the detainees, put men on watch, and sleep in the trenches. The next morning, they wake up without attack, and see the Boers entering the area, and then approaching a farm, where the women tell them of Swinton's position. The Boers mount an attack with shells, the trenches are not deep enough, and the Boers again gain victory. Swinton learns to gather all the settlers, even women, to dig deeper and narrower trenches.

In the forth dream, Swinton rounds up all the settlers and their animals, digs deeper, narrower trenches, and guard the settlers. At dawn, no attack occurs, and they continue digging the trenches. The enemy comes, eventually attacks from behind, and the men again surrender. Swinton learns not to ignore the rear, and to watch the flanks.

In the...

He learns to look for dead ground.
In the final dream, Swinton chooses to hold the riverbank, rather than a trench area, and uses all the information he gained from his previous dreams. They hold their position for two days, and finally are relieved by a British force. They hold back the Boers, only lose 11 men, and are finally successful.

In conclusion, in this book of "dreams," Swinton really presents several different problems presented in the field, and shows how to overcome them. By presenting them in logical steps, he makes them easier to remember and understand, and he makes this book more interesting to read, as well.

References

Swinton, Captain D.E. "The Defense of Duffer's Drift." Command and General Staff College. 2008. 16 Aug. 2008. http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/Swinton/Swinton.asp