urned "Tommy," "Oi thought you blokes would be interested
in your boss's family, that's why I spoke."

The courteous soldier was sent back with instructions to get some
better clothes, for those he had on his back were all torn and dirty
and they were not worth taking.

The expedition was now a failure, for the enemy had been warned and
the sentries were doubled along the line.

In December, 1901, we tried an attack on a British convoy between
Lydenburg and Machadodorp. I took a mounted commando and arrived at
Schvemones Cleft after four days' marching through the Sabinek via
Cham Sham, an arduous task, as we had to go over the mountains and
through some rivers. Some of my officers went out scouting in order
to find the best place for an attack on the convoy. The enemy's
blockhouses were found to be so close together on the road along which
the convoy had to pass as to make it very difficult to get at it. But
having come such a long way nobody liked to go back without having at
least made an effort. We therefore marched during the night and found
some hiding places along the road where we waited, ready to charge
anything coming along. At dawn next day I found the locality to be
very little suitable for the purpose we had in view, but if we were
now to move the enemy would notice our presence from the blockhouses.
We would, therefore, either have to lie low till dusk or make an
attack after all. We had already captured several of the enemy's
spies, whom we kept prisoners so as not to be betrayed. Towards the
afternoon the convoy came by and we charged on horseback. The English,
who must have seen us coming, were ready to receive our charge and
poured a heavy fire into us from ditches and trenches and holes in the
ground. We managed to dislodge the enemy's outerflanks and to make
several prisoners, but could not reach the carts on account of the
heavy fire from a regiment of infantry escorting the waggons. I
thought the taking of the convoy would cost more lives than it was
worth, and gave orders to cease firing. We lost my brave adjutant,
Jaapie Oliver, while Captain Giel Joubert and another burgher were
wounded. On the other side Captain Merriman and ten men were wounded.
I do not know how many killed he had.

We went back to Schoeman's Kloof the same day, where we buried our
comrades and attended to the wounded. The blockhouses and garrisons
along the convoy road were now fortified with entrenchments and guns,
and