ne hundred men.

Our own loss was heavy. Seven of the burghers were killed and fourteen
wounded; most of these, however, slightly.

The sun had already set before we had put everything in order, and it
was late in the evening when we returned to our laager at "Prospect."
There I received a report that a great column was marching from the
direction of Reddersburg, in order to relieve Major Massey--but they
were too late!

Very early the following morning we made preparations to intercept the
advance of this column. We took up positions to the west of Dewetsdorp,
and the day was spent in exchanging shots with the enemy's guns. During
the night we remained in our positions, but when the sun rose I
discovered that the column, which was already too strong for us, was
expecting a reinforcement, and as no attack was attempted on their side,
I decided to leave the position quietly, and to march on. My inroad into
Cape Colony must no longer be delayed.

Our positions at Dewetsdorp were so situated that I could leave them
unnoticed. I thought it well, however, to leave behind a small number of
burghers as a decoy, so that the English should not pursue us at once.

[Footnote 74: Nieuwjaarsfontein.]

[Footnote 75: A table-shaped hill.]

CHAPTER XXIII

I Fail to Enter Cape Colony

The enemy gave us plenty of time in which to effect our escape, and by
nightfall we had abandoned our positions at Platkop. Taking with us the
prisoners of war (whom I intended to set free on the far side of the
Orange River), we marched towards Vaalbank, arriving there on the
following morning. That day the English attacked us unawares. While I
was at Dewetsdorp, Captain Pretorius had come up to give me a report of
his recent doings. I had sent him, two months previously, from the
district of Heilbron to Fauresmith and Philippolis, in order to fetch
two or three hundred horses from those districts; he had told me that he
had brought the horses, and that they were with his 200 men at
Droogfontein.

It was about eight o'clock in the morning after our night march that our
outpost at Vaalbank saw a mounted commando riding from Beijersberg in
the direction of Reddersburg. I was at once informed of this, but as I
was expecting Pretorius from that direction, I merely said: "It is sure
to be Captain Pretorius."

"No; this is an _English_ commando."

English or Australian--it made very little matter--they were enemies.

I had no need to gi