gersdorp (two days),
or just a shade under fourteen miles for each marching day.

[Illustration: Paardekraal Monument, Krugersdorp.]

CHAPTER II.

HEIDELBERG.

'Wherever a man's post is, whether he has chosen it of his own
will, or whether he has been placed at it by his commander, there
it is his duty to remain and face the danger, without thinking of
death, or of any other thing except dishonour.'--_Socrates._

'Such officers do the King best service in the end.'--_Hamlet._

A considerable force had now assembled at Heidelberg, but it was not
to remain there long. General Hunter took over command from General
Ian Hamilton, who had had a bad fall from his horse, and shortly moved
off to the Free State, where he and his men soon covered themselves
with distinction by the rounding-up of Prinsloo's commandoes near
Golden Gate, on the Basuto border.

The 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers, a half-battalion Somersetshire Light
Infantry, and the 28th Field Battery Royal Artillery, with some
details, were left to garrison Heidelberg.

The battalion was soon split up into a number of small detachments,
and posted at various places along the railway line, which had
suffered considerably at the hands of the Boers. Scarcely a bridge
remained intact, while the presence of wandering bodies of the enemy
in the neighbourhood necessitated the utmost caution and continual
vigilance on the part of the companies, half-companies, and even
sections, into which some of the companies were at length subdivided.

Headquarters and those companies not on detachment in the meantime had
plenty of work cut out for them too. In order to defend the place two
hills to the west of the town were occupied, one by the Royal Dublin
Fusiliers, known as Dublin Hill, and the other by the Somersetshire
Light Infantry. Our hill was put into a most thorough state of
defence by many hours of hard labour and efficient work under the
direction of Colonel Hicks. Sangars were built on every spur and knoll
which afforded a good field of fire; traverses and shelters were
numerous; in case of a night attack whitened stones along well-made
tracks showed the nearest way to the various posts; while not only
every company, but every section, had its well-defined trench or wall
to rally on and hold.

To some of us, indeed, all these precautions at the time seemed
somewhat excessive, and it is true that no attack was ever made; but
just as example is be