have
been even more blameworthy than the similar negligence which occurred at
Sanna's Post. They were not more than five miles off, and could watch
the whole engagement--and yet they never stirred a foot to come and help
their comrades. And it was fortunate for us that it was so, for we
should have stood no chance at all against a large force.

To oppose successfully such bodies of men as our burghers had to meet
during this war demanded _rapidity of action_ more than anything else.
We had to be quick at fighting, quick at reconnoitring, quick (if it
became necessary) at flying! This was exactly what I myself aimed at,
and had not so many of our burghers proved false to their own colours,
England--as the great Bismarck foretold--would have found her grave in
South Africa.]

CHAPTER XI

An Unsuccessful Siege

My object now was to reach Smithfield. We set out at once and late in
the evening I divided my commandos into two parties. The first, some
five hundred men in all, consisted chiefly of Smithfield burghers under
Commandant Swanepoel, of Yzervarkfontein, but there were also some
Wepener men amongst them. I gave General Froneman the command over this
party, and ordered him to proceed without delay and attack the small
English garrison at Smithfield. With the second party I rode off to join
the burghers who were under General J.B. Wessels.

I came up with Wessels' division on the 6th of April at Badenhorst, on
the road from Dewetsdorp to Wepener. Badenhorst lies at a distance of
some ten miles from a ford on the Caledon River, called
Tammersbergsdrift, where Colonel Dalgety, with the highly renowned
C.M.R.[36] and Brabant's Horse were at that time stationed. I call them
"highly renowned" to be in the fashion, for I must honestly avow that I
never could see for what they were renowned.

During the fight at Mostertshoek on the previous day I had kept them
under observation, with the result that I learnt that they had
entrenched themselves strongly, and that they numbered about sixteen
hundred men, though this latter fact was a matter of indifference to me.
The history of Ladysmith, Mafeking, and Kimberley, however, served me as
a warning, and I asked myself whether it would be better to besiege the
wolf or to wait and see if he would not come out of his lair.

But the wolf, on this occasion, was not to be enticed out on any
pretext; and moreover it was probable that Lord Roberts would be able to
send a re