ppose the
two State Presidents rejected them.

CHAPTER XI.

THE TURN OF THE TIDE.

After the English forces had retreated from Vaalkrantz across the
Tugela, a patrol of my commando under my faithful adjutant, J. Du
Preez, who had taken my place for the time being, succeeded in
surprising a troop of fifty Lancers, of the 17th regiment, I believe,
near Zwartkop, east of the Tugela, and making them prisoners after a
short skirmish. Among these men, who were afterwards sent to Pretoria,
was a certain Lieutenant Thurlington. It was a strange sight to see
our patrol coming back with their victims, each Boer brandishing a
captured lance.

Being still in the hospital in feeble health without any prospect of a
speedy recovery, I took the doctor's advice and went home to
Rondepoort, near Krugersdorp, where my family was staying at the
time, and there, thanks to the careful treatment of my kind doctor and
the tender care of my wife I soon recovered my strength.

On the 25th of February I received a communication from my commando to
the effect that General Buller had once more concentrated his forces
on Colenso and that heavy fighting was going on. The same evening I
also had a telegram from President Kruger, urging me to rejoin my
commando so soon as health would allow, for affairs seemed to have
taken a critical turn. The enemy appeared to mean business this time,
and our commando had already been compelled to evacuate some very
important positions, one of which was Pieter's Heights.

Then the news came from Cape Colony that General Piet Cronje had been
surrounded at Paardeberg, and that as he stubbornly refused to abandon
his convoy and retreat, he would soon be compelled by a superior force
to surrender.

The next morning I was in a fast train to Natal, accompanied by my
faithful adjutant, Rokzak. My other adjutant, Du Preez, had meantime
been ordered to take a reinforcement of 150 men to Pieter's Heights,
and was soon engaged in a desperate struggle in the locality situated
between the Krugersdorpers' and the Middleburgers' positions. The
situation was generally considered very serious when I arrived near
the head laager at Modderspruit late in the evening of the 27th of
February, unaware of the unfavourable turn things had taken during the
day at Paardeberg, in the Cape Colony, and on the Tugela. We rode on
that night to my laager at Potgietersdrift, but having to go by a
roundabout way it took us till early