discharging old
and war-sick officers and placing younger and more energetic men in
command.

Several families here were causing considerable trouble. When first
the enemy had passed through their district they had had no
opportunity of surrendering with their cattle. But when the English
returned, they had attempted to go to the enemy's camp at Belfast,
taking all their cattle and moveables with them. At this the loyal
burghers were furious and threatened to confiscate all their cattle
and goods. Seeing this, these families, whom I shall call the
Steenkamps, had desisted from their attempt to go over to the enemy
and had taken up their abode in a church at Dullstroom, the only
building which had not been destroyed, although the windows, doors
and pulpit had long disappeared. Here they quietly awaited an
opportunity of surrendering to the enemy, whose camp at Belfast was
only 10 or 12 miles distant. We were very anxious that their cattle
and sheep, of which they had a large number, should not go to the
enemy, but we could bring no charge of treachery home to them, as they
were very smooth-tongued scoundrels and always swore fealty to us.

I have mentioned this as an example of the dangerous elements with
which we had to contend amongst our own people, and to show how low a
Boer may sink when once he has decided to forego his most sacred
duties and turn against his own countrymen the weapon he had lately
used in their defence. Such men were luckily in the minority. Yet I
often came across cases where fathers fought against their own sons,
and brother against brother. I cannot help considering that it was far
from noble on the part of our enemy to employ such traitors to their
country and to form such bodies of scoundrels as the National Scouts.

Amongst all this worry of reorganising our commandos and weeding out
the traitors we were allowed little rest by the enemy, and once we
suddenly found them marching up from Helvetia in our direction. A
smart body of men, chiefly composed of Lydenburg and Middelburg men,
and under the command of a newly-appointed officer, Captain Du Toit,
went to meet the enemy between Bakendorp and Dullstroom. Here ensued a
fierce fight, where we lost some men, but succeeded in arresting the
enemy's progress. The fight, however, was renewed the next day, and
the British having received strong reinforcements our burghers were
forced to retire, the enemy remaining at a place near the "Pannetjes