the 3rd of April at
Schwarskopjes on the Kaffir River. He had left Sanna's Post on the
afternoon of the previous day.

Those who consider that he was marching with seven hundred men and three
Krupp guns, and that his horses were so exhausted that some of them had
to be left behind, will agree with me that he did a good day's work in
those twenty-four hours.

Fortunately for us, it was not at that time the habit of the English to
start on their march before the sun had risen. And, by another lucky
chance, our opponents were off their guard, and quite unsuspicious of
attack, although they must, undoubtedly, have heard something of what
had happened at Sanna's Post.

General Froneman gave me to understand that it was necessary to
off-saddle the horses, and to give them a long rest, as he had been
riding without any break since the previous evening.

"However necessary it may be," I replied, "it is impossible;" and I
pointed out to him that if we were to delay, the English would occupy
the ridge between Muishondsfontein and Mostertshoek, and thus obtain the
best position. I, therefore, ordered the men to proceed with all speed,
and to leave behind those who could not go on. The General did not
appear to be "links"[34] at this, but called out with his loud voice,
"Come on, burghers!"

We were fortunate in being able to keep up with the enemy by riding
along a little plain, which was hidden from them by an intervening hill.
Our course ran in a direction parallel to their line of march, and at a
distance of about six miles from it. But unluckily, the English were the
first to reach the ridge. When we appeared at the point where the hill
which had concealed us from them came to an end, their vanguard had just
passed the eastern end of the ridge at which we were both aiming; and we
had still some four or five miles to go before we could reach it.

I saw that the enemy was not strong enough to occupy the whole ridge, so
I at once gave orders to General De Villiers to advance, and to seize
the western end at a point just above the farmstead of Mostertshoek.
The enemy, observing this manoeuvre, took up their position on the
eastern extremity of the ridge. Whereupon I divided the remaining
burghers into small companies, with orders to occupy kopjes from six to
seven hundred paces still further to the east; leaving to myself and
Commandant Nel the task of seizing a small ridge which lay south-east of
the English lines.

All