small donkeys. Somebody told me that the
little donkeys had to swim a short distance where it was deep, and at
one time disappeared beneath the water; but that the driver was so full
of joy--or of fear--that he went on whipping the water!

A fearful experience we had had! We asked each other in wonder, "Is it
possible? How could we have endured it?" But as I have only been
hinting at things, the reader will perhaps say, "O come! it hasn't been
as bad as all that!"

Give me leave then, dear reader, to place before you the whole of the
circumstances. England's great power pitted against two Republics,
which, in comparison with European countries, were nearly uninhabited!
This mighty Empire employed against us, besides their own English,
Scotch and Irish soldiers, volunteers from the Australian, New Zealand,
Canadian and South African Colonies; hired against us both black and
white nations, and, what is the worst of all, the national scouts from
our own nation sent out against us. Think, further, that all harbours
were closed to us, and that there were therefore no imports. Can you not
see that the whole course of events was a miracle from beginning to end?
A miracle of God in the eyes of every one who looks at it with an
unbiassed mind, but even more apparent to those who had personal
experience of it. Yet, however that may be, I had to declare again that
if there had been no national scouts and no Kaffirs, in all human
probability matters would have taken another turn. But as things have
turned out, all that can now be said is, that we have done our best, and
that to ask any one to do more is unreasonable. May it be the cry of
every one, "God willed it so--His name be praised!"

[Footnote 88: There were still two Krupps left, but we had no ammunition
for them.]

[Footnote 89: Farmer's wife.]

[Footnote 90: Stripping.]

CHAPTER XXVII

Was Ours a Guerilla War?

Something almost miraculous now happened! Hardly had we been three hours
across the river when it became completely unfordable!

We knew that we should have now a few days at least in which to rest
ourselves, and we marched slowly to the farm of Lubbeshoop. From there I
sent General Fourie to operate in the south-eastern districts, where he
had been before, and despatched Judge Hertzog to the south-western
districts.

We were of the opinion that we should be able to do better work if we
divided the commandos up into small parties. We could not