haba 'Nchu at nightfall, arrived
that very night at Sanna's Post. But we were each unconscious of the
other's presence.

The next morning at daybreak we saw a waggon and a large number of
cattle and sheep not far off the brook. The Kaffir drivers informed us
that the British column had just arrived at Sanna's Post. As soon as we
could see some distance ahead, we observed the enemy now hardly 3000
paces off. A few minutes later our guns began to play upon the
unsuspecting British forces. What a scene of confusion! Broadwood had
fallen into a trap and was between two fires. The whole column, with
guns, waggons and carts, made hurriedly for the drift where De Wet and
his men lay hidden. Nearer they came. At length a cart entered the
drift. The occupants, husband and wife, looked bewildered on seeing
armed Boers all around them in the bed of the brook. De Wet immediately
ordered two of his adjutants to mount the cart and drive on. Then in
quick succession followed a number of carts and vehicles, all driven by
Englishmen from Thaba 'Nchu. These were ordered to proceed ahead and
warned not to make any signals to the enemy. So well was everything
arranged, that the first batch of troops that entered the drift had not
the slightest suspicion that there was something wrong. Absolutely
abashed were they on finding themselves among us; the men raised their
hands in surrender at the cry of "Hands up!"

In this way we disarmed 200 without wasting a bullet. But this was not
to go on for long; there came an officer from the rear who was
determined to upset our plans and disturb our peace seriously. He, at
least, was not going to surrender in this fashion. On being asked for
his rifle he said, with marked resoluteness, "Be d----d! I won't," and
called on his men to fire. He drew his sword, but before he could use it
he was no more among the living.

The battle had begun. Scarcely 100 paces from the banks of the brook
stood five of the enemy's guns and more than 100 waggons. Some 400 paces
from these two more guns had stopped. The enemy had withdrawn for cover
about 1300 yards to the station on the Dewetsdorp-Bloemfontein railway.

[Illustration: SANNA'S POST--Plan of Battle.]

It was while they were retreating to this station that the greatest
havoc was wrought among them. Across the open plain, with no cover at
all, they had to retreat, and before they reached the place of shelter
the ground between the brook and the station was