e beginning of the war! No large
commandoes, no waggons, and no guns. We were only 300 men--a raiding
band, as some contemptuously called us--with one Maxim, and even that
proved too cumbersome, for we soon cast it into a pool. Instead of
waggons and tents we had only our horses and mackintoshes, and some were
even without the latter. No large supplies of ammunition; our bandoliers
were almost all half empty.

The morning of the 16th of December, then, found us in the Cape Colony.
We had made up our minds to spend at least some months in the enemy's
country. Come what may, we would not return to the Orange Free State. If
the British had the right to stay in the Republics, why should we not
tarry awhile in the Colony? From the river we made a forced march to
Venterstad, a small village lower down the stream. We needed an
outfitting, and thought that that would be the most likely place where
we would get it. We only had to surprise the garrison, about 50 strong,
and we would have all we wanted. In this we were quite successful. The
garrison, or town-guard, soon hoisted the white flag.

We could now fill our bandoliers, and requisition the necessary articles
in clothing, boots, etc. But the enemy was not slow to follow us. We
were just allowed sufficient time to take all we required, and then the
columns came to remind us that we were strangers and intruders.

As we have related our experiences in other chapters, we shall not here
enter into details. For at least seven months, after we had crossed the
river, the enemy continually harassed us. We hardly enjoyed a single
day's rest. During the day we had to fight, and during the night we had
to trek. One thing was plain: the enemy was determined to silence us
completely. That they did not succeed is almost passing strange. If 300
Britishers were to have entered the two republics, would they have
proceeded very far?

General Hertzog had, at the same time, invaded the western province of
the Cape Colony, but, being far away from the railway line, the British
did not worry him very much. They all seemed to conspire against my
small band, and had the additional advantage of railways on every side
of us. Deeper and deeper into the heart of the Colony we were driven. We
marched in a southern direction. Whither? We did not know, only forward.
And so far did we push on that at length the vast expanse of the Indian
Ocean loomed in the distance, and reminded us that it was time to