tion I required.

At this point I had a great deal of trouble with Commandant Vilonel. It
appeared that, notwithstanding the express interdiction of the council
of war, there were some thirty waggons, belonging to burghers from
Winburg who were under his orders. I reminded him of the decision to
which the council had come; but he replied that he did not wish his
burghers to have to undergo the hardship of travelling without waggons.
We started that evening, and, sure enough, there he was with his lumber
following behind us.

I gave him notice in writing the next morning that he must send back the
waggons that very night when we were on the march. This provoked from
him a written request that a war council should be summoned to revise
the decision come to at Kroonstad. I answered that I absolutely declined
to do any such thing.

In the course of that day I received a number of reports. I was informed
that General Olivier was driving General Broadwood from Ladybrand
towards Thaba'Nchu. A little later I heard from General Froneman and
Commandant Fourie how matters stood at Sanna's Post. I had disclosed my
plan to them, and sent them out to reconnoitre. There were--so they told
me--according to their estimation, about two hundred English troops
which were stationed in such and such positions.

I at once summoned Generals A.P. Cronje, J.B. Wessels, C.C. Froneman,
and Piet de Wet, and took council with them, telling them of my plans
and enjoining strict secrecy. I then gave orders that Commandant P.
Fourie and C. Nel, with their burghers, three hundred and fifty in
number, should proceed under my command to Koorn Spruit, and be there
before break of day.

[Illustration: SANNA'S POST.

FROM A SKETCH BY THE AUTHOR.]

We settled that Generals Cronje, Wessels, Froneman, and Piet De Wet
should proceed with the remaining burghers, numbering eleven hundred and
fifty, to the ridges east of the Modder River, right opposite Sanna's
Post. They were to take with them the guns, of which we had four or
five, and bombard Sanna's Post as soon as it was light.

The English, I expected, would retreat to Bloemfontein, and then from my
position in Koorn Spruit I should be able to decimate them as they
passed that ravine. I had sent a large number of burghers with the four
generals so that our force might be sufficiently strong to turn General
Broadwood, in case he should hear that there was fighting at Sanna's
Post and come up to reinf