e did, and many a 'Good luck to you' went after
him, for he was a bold man to have stayed as long as he had, and fully
deserved to escape. Our bombardment had effected one useful purpose.
Amongst the killed was a Commandant called Theron, a brave,
enterprising young fellow of about twenty-five years of age, whose
exploits had already stamped him as a born leader of men. Our own
casualties amounted to four yeomen wounded.

We camped a little further on, and buried our enemy, and one of our
own men who had died from his wounds, side by side, with all due
honour, ceremony, and respect.

[Illustration: Funeral of Commandant Theron and a British Soldier.
September 6th, 1900.]

September 6th was an unpleasant day. In the first place we made a very
early start, which, after the two previous nights' work, was rather
hard on the troops. Several had been without sleep for two nights, and
engaged with the enemy all day. As far as fighting went this
long-range scrapping was not of course worthy of the name, but as far
as discomfort and fatigue were concerned, the operations were entitled
to the most dignified and resonant title in the vocabulary. The 6th
was an example. In the first place there was no fighting; in the
second place, there was very little marching; in the third place,
there was no rest; in the fourth place, there was no food. In the
absence of definite orders the commanding officers delayed for a long
time ere venturing to outspan and cook: when they did do so orders
immediately arrived, scattering companies right, left, and centre, on
the burning and capturing expeditions. Finally, when orders were
published, they were for another night march, the object and
destination of which were concealed even from officers commanding
regiments. However, there was nothing for it but to make the best of
an unpleasant state of affairs, to snatch a few mouthfuls of food
whenever possible and a few minutes' sleep at any opportunity and once
more the long column wound its way through the night. It arrived on
the morning of the 7th at Wolverdiend station, where there was now a
considerable garrison, among them 140 of our own men, who had been
there since the De Wet trek. The day was passed in shifting camp and
fatigue work in the station, where there was much to do in the way of
loading and unloading trains.

Captain Romer got three days' leave here to meet his father, the
famous judge, who had come out as President of the Royal