obliged to
retire, and I do not know exactly where they got to. At this time
there were no less than nine of the enemy's columns in that district,
and they all tried their level best to catch the Boers, but as the
Boers also tried their best not to get caught, I am afraid the English
were often disappointed. Here the reader will, perhaps, remark that it
was not very brave to run away in this fashion, but one should also
take our circumstances into consideration.

No sooner did we attack one column than we were attacked in our turn
by a couple more, and had then considerable difficulty in effecting
our escape. The enemy, moreover, had every advantage of us. They had
plenty of guns, and could cut our ranks to pieces before we could
approach sufficiently near to do any damage with our rifles; they far
surpassed us in numerical strength; they had a constant supply of
fresh horses--some of us had no horses at all; they had continual
reinforcements; their troops were well fed, better equipped, and
altogether in better condition. Small wonder, therefore, that the War
had become a one-sided affair.

On the 20th of May, 1901, I seized an opportunity of attacking General
Plumer on his way from Bethel to Standerton.

We had effected a junction with Commandant Mears and charged the
enemy, and but for their having with them a number of Boer families we
would have succeeded in capturing their whole laager. We had already
succeeded in driving their infantry away from the waggons containing
these families, when their infantry rushed in between and opened fire
on us at 200 paces. We could do nothing else but return this fire,
although it was quite possible that in doing so we wounded one or two
of our own women and children. These kept waving their handkerchiefs
to warn us not to fire, but it was impossible to resist the infantry's
volleys without shooting. Meanwhile the cavalry replaced their guns
behind the women's waggons and fired on us from that coign of vantage.

Here we took 25 prisoners, 4,000 sheep and 10 horses. Our losses were
two killed and nine wounded. The enemy left several dead and wounded
on the field, as well as two doctors and an ambulance belonging to the
Queensland Imperial Bushmen, which we sent back together with the
prisoners we had taken.

On this occasion the English were spared a great defeat by having
women and children in their laager, and no doubt for the sake of
safety they kept these with them as l