us. But, having no sort of
cover, they were soon compelled to mount their horses again and retire
to their guns, which were about three thousand yards from us. These guns
now opened a heavy fire upon our ridges; we replied with our three
Krupps, with which we made such good practice that we might have been
able to hold out there indefinitely, had not a Lyddite and an Armstrong
gun happened just then to arrive from Heilbron, which lay about ten
miles behind us. Thus attacked both in front and rear, there was nothing
to do but retire. Fortunately, we had not lost a single man.

First we rode in a southerly direction, but as soon as we got into cover
we struck off to the east, setting our faces towards Heilbron.

Then, to our immense relief, the sun went down. How often during our
long struggle for independence had not the setting of the sun seemed to
lift a leaden weight from my shoulders! If, on a few occasions, the
approach of night has been to our disadvantage, yet over and over again
it has been nothing less than our salvation.

We got back safely, under cover of the darkness, to our little camp near
Slootkraal, and there remained in hiding until the following day. It was
there that Commandant Nel handed in his resignation. In his place the
burghers of Kroonstad chose Mr. Frans Van Aard as their Commandant.

That night we set out for Paardenkraal, twenty miles to the north-east
of Kroonstad, staying there until the evening of the 19th.

The time for my attack on the railway line having now come, I divided my
men into three parties for that purpose. I sent on Commandant J.H.
Olivier, who had joined me at Paardenkraal, to Honingspruit Station,
General Froneman to America Siding, while I myself made my way to
Serfontein Siding.

At daybreak General Froneman wrecked the line near America Siding, and I
did the same at other places, also destroying the telegraph poles. Each
pole was first shot through with the Mauser, and then pulled until it
snapped at the point where the bullet had pierced it.

Things did not go so well with Commandant Olivier. He attacked the
station, but, unfortunately, not so early as had been arranged.
Consequently he was not able to bring his gun into action before the
enemy had observed him. When I came up to him there was a strong English
reinforcement from Kroonstad close at hand. We had too few men with us
to be able to offer resistance, and had to retreat, returning to
Paardenkraal at nig