bout nine
miles north of Balmoral Station. Here we stayed a few days to allow
our animals to rest and recover from their hardships, and then moved
on across the railway to the Bethel and Ermelo districts. Here the
enemy was much less active, and we should have an opportunity of being
left undisturbed for a little time. But we lost 40 of our horses, who
had caught the dreaded horse-sickness whilst passing through the bush
country.

On the second day of our stay at Blackwood Camp I sent 150 men under
Commandants Groenwald and Viljoen through the Banks, via Staghoek, to
attack the enemy's camp near Wagendrift on the Olifant's River. This
was a detachment of the force which had been surrounding us. We
discovered that they were still trying to find us, and that the patrol
which had followed us were not aware of our having got away. It
appears that they only discovered this several days afterwards, and
great must have been the good general's surprise when they found that
the birds had flown and their great laid schemes had failed.

My 150 men approached the enemy's camp early in the morning, and when
at a short range began pouring in a deadly rifle fire on the western
side. The British soldiers, who were not dreaming of an attack, ran to
and fro in wild disorder. Our burghers, however, ceased firing when
they saw that there were many women and children in the camp, but the
enemy began soon to pour out a rifle and gun fire, and our men were
obliged to carry on the fight.

After a few days' absence they returned to our camp and reported to me
that "they had frightened the English out of their wits, for they
thought we were to the east at Roos Senekal, whereas we turned up from
the west."

Of course the British speedily discovered where we were, and came
marching up from Poortjesnek in great force. But we sent out a patrol
to meet them, and the latter by passing them west of Rhenosterkop
effectually misled them, and we were left undisturbed at Blackwood
Camp.

This left us time to prepare for crossing the railway; so I despatched
scouts south to see how matters stood, and bade them return the next
day. We knew that a number of small commandos were located on the
south side of the railway, but to effect a junction was a difficult
matter, and we would risk getting trapped between the columns if we
moved at random. The railway and all the roads were closely guarded,
and great care was being taken to prevent any communication