--let that give
the extent of my capture.

But at that moment we did not realize how much harm we had done to them.
We had little time for anything which did not directly forward our
cause. I was, however, very sorry that I could not carry away with me
the blankets and boots which we found in large quantities, for they
would have been most valuable for winter use. But there was no time for
this, as the English held the railway and could at any moment bring up
reinforcements from Bloemfontein, from Kroonstad, or from Pretoria. So,
as I could not take the booty away with me, I was obliged to consign it
to the flames.

But before I did this I gave the burghers permission to open the
post-bags, and to take what they liked out of them. For in these bags
there were useful articles of every description, such as underclothing,
stockings, cigars and cigarettes.

Very soon every one was busy with the post-bags--as if each burgher had
been suddenly transformed into a most zealous postmaster!

Whilst my men were thus pleasantly occupied, two prisoners asked me if I
would not allow them also to open the post-bags, and to investigate
their contents. I told them to take just what they fancied, for
everything that was left would be burnt.

It was a very amusing sight to see the soldiers thus robbing their own
mail! They had such a large choice that they soon became too dainty to
consider even a plum-pudding worth looking at!

Although I had ordered my men to wreck the bridges both to the north and
to the south of us, I still did not feel secure--any delay on our part
was fraught with danger, and the sooner we were off the better.

But before we could start, I had to find some method of removing the
ammunition which I wished to take with me. Since I possessed no waggons
available for this purpose, my only course was to order my burghers to
carry away the quantity required. But my burghers were busily engaged in
looting.

Those who have had any experience of our commandos will not need to be
told that it was a difficult task to get any men to help me in the work.
I did succeed, however, in dragging a few of the burghers away from the
post-bags. But the spirit of loot was upon them, and I was almost
powerless. Even when I had induced a burgher to work, he was off to the
post-bags again the instant my back was turned, and I had to go and hunt
him up, or else to find some other man to do the work. Yet, in spite of
this, I succeede