that which had cost them so much
labour thrown into the flames.

In spite of the fact that the English, in order to destroy our crops,
had let their horses and draught oxen loose upon the land, there was
still an abundant harvest--perhaps the best that we had ever seen. And
so it happened that whilst the men were at the front, the housewives
could feed the horses in the stable. But Lord Roberts, acting on the
advice of unfaithful burghers, laid his hand upon the housewives' work,
and burnt the grain that they had stored.]

[Footnote 38: This Court was not composed of officers, but consisted of
three persons, one of whom was a lawyer.]

[Footnote 39: Township.]

[Footnote 40: Police Agent.]

[Footnote 41: Railway trucks.]

[Footnote 42: Everyone will know him, this brave man of pure Afrikander
blood, subsequently a famous Commander, a martyr. I appointed him
Captain of Scouts, and from the moment that he commenced his work I saw
that a _man_ had come forward. It was sad to think in what manner such a
man was deprived of his life. I shall speak more of him later on, for,
as our proverb says, "I had eaten too much salt" to pass over his career
unnoticed]

CHAPTER XIII

Our Position at the End of May, 1900

Once more it became necessary that the seat of Government should be
changed, and towards the latter part of May our administrative
headquarters were established at a place between Frankfort and Heilbron.
The object of our Government in choosing this position was to be able to
keep up telegraphic communication with the Transvaal. And their choice
was soon to be justified, for after Johannesburg had been taken on May
31st and Pretoria on July 5th, the only telegraphic connexion between
the Free State and the South African Republic was via Frankfort,
Greylingstad and Middlesburg. The terminus, at the Transvaal end, was
situated not far from Pretoria.

But, for the moment, it looked as if fortune were again going to smile
on us, after our long spell of ill luck. On May the 31st Lindley and its
garrison of Yeomanry fell into the hands of General Piet de Wet. The
Yeomanry lost heavily, and five hundred of them, including, as I was
told, several noblemen, were taken prisoner. These were the last
prisoners of war that we were able to send into the South African
Republic. Soon afterwards, when Pretoria was on the point of falling
into the enemy's hands, the prisoners there had to be sent further east,
but--o