rs fought with the utmost valour; the _Voetgangers_
on Wolhuterskop were perhaps the bravest of them all. Whenever the enemy
approached our positions, they were met by a torrent of bullets. And
thus the day came to a close.

But the next day a large force of English appeared from the direction of
Reitz. This had come from the Transvaal, and, if I remember rightly, was
commanded by General Sir Hector Macdonald. He had come up and joined
Generals Clements, Hunter, Broadwood and Paget, with the object of once
and for all making an end of the Free-Staters.

Our positions were now exposed to a most terrific bombardment, but
fortunately without any serious consequences. I must describe here the
fearful havoc that one lyddite shell wrought. It fell into the position
held by Commandant Steenekamp, to the north-west of Bethlehem, and
struck a rock behind which twenty-five of our horses were standing.
Without a single exception every horse was killed!

The attack was pressed with the greatest vigour on the positions held by
Commandants Van Aard and Piet Fourie. It became impossible for these
officers to maintain their ground; and, at about twelve o'clock, before
I was able to send them any reinforcements, they were compelled to give
way.

Thus retreat became inevitable, and the enemy entered Bethlehem.

One of our guns we were unable to remove; but before we withdrew it was
thrown down the _krans_[60] of the mountain, and broken to pieces.

I knew at the time the number the English had lost, but now it had
slipped my memory. I obtained the information from a man named Bland,
who acted as our telegraphist. He had tapped the telegraph wire at
Zwingkrans, and before General Clements had detected that he was not
communicating with Senekal, he had received from that General a full
list of the English killed and wounded.

We withdrew our commandos in a southerly direction to Retiefsnek,
whither President Steyn and the Government had already preceded us.

[Footnote 57: He had left the remainder of his burghers at Witnek and at
Houtnek, near Ficksburg.]

[Footnote 58: Infantry.]

[Footnote 59: As I have already stated, I intend to write on another
occasion a book dealing with the art of scouting; and the above incident
will there form a striking proof of how foolishly the English scouts did
their work.]

[Footnote 60: Precipice.]

CHAPTER XVII

The Surrender of Prinsloo

The English, now that they had taken Beth