, I pity the soldiers who
were told to do this work.

Our losses were two burghers wounded, as already stated.

CHAPTER XXXII.

EXECUTION OF A TRAITOR.

As briefly referred to in the last chapter, there occurred in the
early part of February, 1901, what I always regard as one of the most
unpleasant incidents of the whole Campaign, and which even now I
cannot record without awakening the most painful recollections. I
refer to the summary execution of a traitor in our ranks, and inasmuch
as a great deal has been written of this tragic episode, I venture to
state the particulars of it in full. The facts of the case are as
follows:--

At this period of the War, as well as subsequently, much harm was done
to our cause by various burghers who surrendered to the enemy, and
who, actuated by the most sordid motives, assisted the British in
every possible way against us. Some of these treacherous Boers
occasionally fell into our hands, and were tried by court martial for
high treason; but however damning the evidence brought against them
they usually managed to escape with some light punishment. On some
occasions sentence of death was passed on them, but it was invariably
commuted to imprisonment for life, and as we had great difficulty in
keeping such prisoners, they generally succeeded, sooner or later, in
making their escape. This mistaken leniency was the cause of much
dissatisfaction in our ranks, which deeply resented that these
betrayers of their country should escape scot-free.

About this time a society was formed at Pretoria, chiefly composed of
surrendered burghers, called the "Peace Committee," but better known
to us as the "Hands-uppers." Its members surreptitiously circulated
pamphlets and circulars amongst our troops, advising them to surrender
and join the enemy. The impartial reader will doubtless agree that
such a state of things was not to be tolerated. Imagine, for example,
that English officers and soldiers circulated similar communications
amongst the Imperial troops! Would such proceedings have been
tolerated?

The chairman of this society was a man by the name of Meyer De Kock,
who had belonged to a Steenkampsberg field-cornet's force and had
deserted to the enemy. He was the man who first suggested to the
British authorities the scheme of placing the Boer women and children
in Concentration Camps--a system which resulted in so much misery and
suffering--and he maintained that this would