to get plenty of dry wood in the Boschveld, and
were not yet so demoralized as to work damage without scruple.

We stayed at my uncle's far longer than we at first intended. My saddle
had chafed the horse's back so severely that I could not ride it for
several months. My brother got an attack of malaria, and just as he was
recovering had a relapse, so that President Steyn was so far in advance
of us that there was no question of overtaking him.

The commando had already left Marabastad when we started for
Tweefontein, near Warmbad, on our now strong, sleek horses. There we
joined Commandant Kemp, of the Krugersdorp commando, under Wyk III., who
had parted from Ben Viljoen at Marabastad because the latter had on a
Sunday afternoon during service fired off several cannon-shots for the
edification of a few fast women.

Malherbe, my brother, and I formed a sort of comradeship under Corporal
Botman--or, to put it simply, we were 'chums.' At Warmbad we heard many
interesting things about the khakies, who had stayed there nineteen days
on their hunt after De Wet. We could not understand why they destroyed
the bathing-houses, unless it were to deprive our wounded of the chance
of recovery.

The condition of the people in Zoutpansberg and in Waterberg, where the
enemy had been, was not very cheerful. Everyone complained that there
was no sugar to be had, that the meal was getting low, and that soon
there would be no clothes. Pietersburg was exhausted by the commandos,
and the courage of the inhabitants was nearly at an ebb. They would not
yet make the sacrifice that would part them from their families. The
enemy had not yet driven them to despair by the destruction of their
fields and goods.

Every sensible person knew that the Republics would lose in the
long-run in a guerilla war unless something unforeseen happened. At the
time that we fled from Pretoria my mother said she would have hope as
long as her 'gorillas' remained in the veld. Even if we clung to a
straw, the possibility always remained that things might take a
favourable turn as long as a fair number of burghers remained in the
veld.

The burghers from the different districts now in Waterberg were earnest
and full of courage. Noticeable changes for the better had been made.
Beyers, a man in whom the men had the utmost faith, was made
Assistant-Commandant-General, and was to lead a commando of 1,500
horsemen from Waterberg, Zoutpansberg, Krugersdorp, etc., to