was elected commandant.

Frustrated in our attempt to seize Winburg, we resolved to attack
Ladybrand, which was not strongly garrisoned. Having encamped at
Koeranerberg--a mountain 30 miles west of Ladybrand--we mustered our
forces, took three guns and about 800 burghers, and left for the
village.

It was a bitterly cold night--one of those nights which one can hardly
forget. We rode till sunrise without off-saddling once. At 9 P.M. we
halted to prepare a hasty supper. How we enjoyed that! A few days
before, the enemy had unwillingly provided us with sugar, coffee, milk,
butter and cheese. Owing to the intense cold the men that had no
overcoats wrapped themselves up in their blankets, in which they
appeared before the village just as the sun was rising.

Commandant Hertzog, on our arrival, despatched a messenger under a flag
of truce to demand the surrender of the garrison. In reply he received a
message to the effect that it would be much better if he would come in
himself and lay down arms; that would put an end to the business much
quicker. On receiving this answer we at once began to bombard the forts
of the enemy, with the result that almost all their horses took to
flight and fell into our hands, while some of them were wounded and
killed.

General Fourie, Commandant Nieuwhoudt and myself, with a number of
daring volunteers, made for the village. We reached a few houses safely,
and under cover of these we succeeded in forcing the enemy to retreat to
their forts and skanzes at the foot of Platrand--a mountain to the
south-east of the village and very near to it. Gradually we occupied
more and more of the village, and before sunset we were in possession of
the whole of it.

The enemy was, however, so strongly entrenched that, in spite of their
small numbers, it was impossible to compel them to capitulate without
incurring the risk of sustaining heavy losses. For at the base of the
mountain are natural forts and grottoes, against which lyddite shells
would spend their force in vain. All we could do was to keep the foe in
their haunts by directing such a fire against them that they could not
venture even to peep out. In doing this the commandoes could
requisition--loot, as some would say--what they required.

During the night the enemy shifted and occupied other positions. At
daybreak they took vengeance on us from these positions. It did not take
a long time to silence them for the rest of the day.

The foll