ore
injunctions, which have escaped my memory. No wonder that one
should forget when chased as we were. I believe these orders were,
as a rule, obeyed. In fact I should say we erred in adhering so
strictly to them, for we met some ultra-loyalists who would not
give or sell us so much as a morsel of food. Now when any one is
hungry, and people will neither give nor sell, what else can he do
than help himself? If he does not, it is his own fault should he
starve. At a certain farm we offered a sovereign for one bucket of
meal, but all in vain; when we asked the woman for a glass of
water, she pointed us to a spring some distance off. Shameful, is
it not! Next time we shall, I am afraid, not be so over-polite. One
learns a lot every day.

"At 11 A.M. our scouts reported that they had sighted two columns
about 7 miles from us. And now our troubles and hardships
commenced. What we anticipated and dreaded had actually taken
place. The enemy had occupied all the passes in front of us,
preventing us thereby from crossing the railway at the intended
point between Norval's Pont and Colesberg. We had now to go in that
barren and desolate part of the Colony where one is entirely
dependent upon forage, and where, unfortunately for us, none was to
be had.

"I expected that the British would intercept us. They knew about De
Wet's intended invasion; and had every facility by rail for
mobilising and seizing all the points of consequence. Whilst we had
to ride all the way from Winburg district, they had the advantage
of being transported by rail--an advantage which can hardly be
over-estimated.

"Encumbered with guns and waggons, we could not dodge the enemy. We
either had to seize the passes or proceed in a direction which
might lead to fatal results. To do the former appeared impossible
to De Wet, and so the latter course was reluctantly adopted. If it
were not for the convoy, we would have achieved our object and
would have entered those districts where commandoes could exist.

"The enemy was engaged till dusk. We had no casualties; but
Commandant Ross and a number of his men were cut off. They managed
to reach the Orange Free State safely. How they found their way
through the various columns, I can't say--a Boer, if need be, can
retire wonder