sh, although we were exposed all the way to the
fire of their guns. But even when we gained the rise we were little
better off, as it was too low to give us cover. The English were
scarcely more than four hundred paces from us. They dismounted and
opened a heavy fire. For ten or fifteen minutes we successfully kept
them back. Then the sun went down! and to my great relief the enemy
moved away in the direction of their comrades on the mountain. I ordered
all my men from their positions, and withdrew to the spot where we had
encamped the previous night. The burghers were exhausted by hunger and
thirst, for they had had nothing to eat except the provisions which they
had brought in their saddle-bags from the laager.

That evening Andreas Cronje--- the General's brother--joined us with two
hundred and fifty men and a Maxim-Nordenfeldt.

When the sun rose on the following day, the veldt was clear of the
enemy. General French had during the night retreated to headquarters.
What losses he had suffered I am unable to say; ours amounted to seven
wounded and two killed.

Our task here was now ended, and so we returned to Magersfontein.

The following morning a large force again left the English camp and took
the direction of the Koffiefontein diamond mine. General Cronje
immediately ordered me to take a force of four hundred and fifty men
with a Krupp and a Maxim-Nordenfeldt, and to drive back the enemy. At my
request, Commandants Andreas Cronje, Piet Fourie, Scholten and Lubbe
joined me, and that evening we camped quite close to the spot where the
English force was stationed!

Early the next day, before the enemy had made any movement, we started
for Blauwbank,[18] and, having arrived there, we took up our positions.
Shortly afterwards the fight began; it was confined entirely to the
artillery.

We soon saw that we should have to deal with the whole of Lord Roberts'
force, for there it was, advancing in the direction of Paardenberg's
Drift. It was thus clear that Lord Roberts had not sent his troops to
Koffiefontein with the intention of proceeding by that route to
Bloemfontein, but that his object had been to divide our forces, so as
to march via Paardenberg's Drift to the Capital.

I accordingly withdrew with three hundred and fifty of the burghers in
the direction of Koffiefontein, and then hid my commando as best I
could. The remainder of the men--about a hundred in number--I placed
under Commandant Lubbe, giving him