CHAPTER XIV

Roodewal

The ammunition arrived safely, and towards the end of May I made my way
to a certain hill, some twelve miles from Heilbron, to which we had
given the name of Presidentskopje, and where Commandants Steenekamp and
J.H. Olivier were posted.

Here I left the greater part of my commandos. But I myself, on the 2nd
of June, set out in the direction of Roodewal Station, taking with me
six hundred burghers, mounted on the best horses that were to be
obtained. I reached the farm of Leeuwfontein the same night, and found
it an excellent place in which to hide my men out of sight of the
Heilbron garrison. The farm stood about nine miles to the south of that
town.

The following evening we moved on as far as Smithsdrift, which is a
drift on the road from Heilbron to Kroonstad. There again I concealed my
men.

On the afternoon of the next day, June the 4th, news was brought me that
a convoy was on its way to Heilbron from Rhenoster River. This convoy
encamped that evening at the distance of a mile from the farm of
Zwavelkrans; the spot chosen was about five hundred paces from the
Rhenoster River, and quite unprotected.

Before sunrise I sent a party of burghers down to the river, some five
hundred paces from where the convoy was encamped, and by daybreak we had
entirely surrounded the enemy.

No sooner had the sun appeared than I despatched a burgher with a white
flag to the English officer in command. I ordered my messenger to
inform the officer that he was surrounded, that escape was out of the
question, and that if he wished to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, his only
course was to surrender.

[Illustration: ROODEWAL.

FROM A SKETCH BY THE AUTHOR.]

On hearing this one of their men came to me with the object of demanding
certain conditions. It goes without saying that my answer
was--"Unconditional surrender!"

He asked for time to communicate this to the officer in command. I
granted this request, and he returned to the convoy.

We were not left in suspense for long. The white flag was hoisted almost
immediately, and two hundred _Bergschotten_,[45] with fifty-six heavily
laden waggons, fell into our hands.

Fortunately, all this occurred out of sight of Roodewal Station and
Heilbron, and, as not a single shot had been fired, I had no reason so
far to fear that there was any obstacle in the way of my main
project--the capture of the valuable booty at Roodewal.

I at once returned with