ficult to find them. Weeks afterwards,
when we returned over the same ground, we still found some bodies
lying about the bush, and gave them decent burial.

Our burghers were now once more in possession of 100 fresh horses and
saddles, whilst their pom-pom was replaced by a Colt-Maxim. General W.
Kitchener now left us alone for a while, for which relief we were very
thankful, and fell back on the railway line. The respite, however, was
short-lived; soon fresh columns were seen coming up from Middelburg
and Pretoria, and we were again attacked, some fighting taking place
mostly on our old battlefields. General Muller repeatedly succeeded in
tearing up the railway line and destroying trains with provisions,
whilst I had the good fortune of capturing a commissariat train, near
Modelane, on the Delagoa Bay line; but, as I could not remove the
goods, I was forced to burn the whole lot. A train, apparently with
reinforcements, was also blown up, the engine and carriages going up
in the air with fine effect.

CHAPTER XLII.

I TALK WITH GENERAL BLOOD.

About the end of August, 1901, I met General Sir Bindon Blood at
Lydenburg by appointment. We had arranged to discuss several momentous
questions there, as we made little progress by correspondence. In the
first place, we accused the English of employing barbarous kaffir
tribes against us; in the second place, of abusing the usage of the
white flag by repeatedly sending officers through our lines with
seditious proclamations which we would not recognise, and we could
only obey our own Government and not theirs; in the third place, we
complained of their sending our women with similar proclamations to us
from the Concentration Camps and making them solemnly promise to do
all that they could to induce their husbands to surrender and thus
regain their liberty. This we considered was a rather mean device on
the part of our powerful enemy. There was also other minor questions
to discuss with regard to the Red Cross.

I went into the English line accompanied by my adjutants, Nel and
Bedeluighuis, and my secretary, Lieutenant W. Malan. At Potloodspruit,
four miles from Lydenburg, I met General Blood's chief staff officer,
who conducted us to him. At the entrance of the village a guard of
honour had been placed and received us with military honours. I could
not understand the meaning of all this fuss, especially as the streets
through which we passed were lined with all sor