ps from General Olivier's
commando arrived on the scene of the recent operations. They had been
following General Broadwood, and on hearing the firing that morning, had
hastened in our direction, maintaining on their arrival, that it was
quite impossible for them to have come any sooner.

[Footnote 31: Ford.]

[Footnote 32: Water-course or ravine.]

[Footnote 33: I may note here that it seemed very strange to me and to
all whose opinion I asked, that Lord Roberts, with his sixty thousand
men, sent no reinforcements from Bloemfontein. The battle had taken
place not more than seventeen miles from the capital, and it had lasted
for four hours; so that there had been ample time to send help. The
English cannot urge in excuse that, owing to our having cut the
telegraph wire, Lord Roberts could know nothing of General Broadwood's
position. The booming of the guns must have been distinctly heard at
Bloemfontein, as it was a still morning. In addition to this plain
warning, the English had an outpost at Borsmanskop, between Koorn Spruit
and Bloemfontein. I do not mention these things with the object of
throwing an unfavourable light upon Lord Roberts' conduct, but merely to
show that even in the great English Army, incomprehensible
irregularities were not unknown, and irregularities of such a character
as to quite put in the shade the bungles we were sometimes guilty of.
But the Republics, young though they were, never thought of boasting
about the order, organization, or discipline of their armies; on the
contrary they were perhaps a little inclined to take too lenient a view
when irregularities occurred.]

CHAPTER X

Four Hundred and Seventy English taken Prisoner at Reddersburg

In the evening of the day on which the events described in the last
chapter occurred, I handed over the command to Generals Piet de Wet and
A.P. Cronje, and taking with me three of my staff, rode to Donkerpoort,
in the direction of Dewetsdorp, on a reconnoitring expedition.

Early the following morning I came to a farm called Sterkfontein, where,
at noon, I received the news that a party of English, coming from
Smithfield, had occupied Dewetsdorp.

It was thirty miles from Sterkfontein to my commando, but,
notwithstanding this, I sent an order that 1,500 men, under Generals
J.B. Wessels, C.C. Froneman and De Villiers, should come up with all
haste and bring three guns with them.

During the time that must necessarily elapse before