numbers of cattle which we had driven on to the mountains, and
I anticipated that there would be no difficulty about this, for now that
all our commandos had left those parts, the English would not think it
worth while to send a large force against a mere handful of watchers.

Thus everything was settled, and on the 15th of July I set out through
Slabbertsnek, expecting that the other generals would follow me,
conformably to my orders and the known wishes of the Government.

But what really happened?

Immediately after my departure, some of the officers, displeased that
Assistant Commander-in-Chief Roux should have been entrusted with the
command, expressed the wish that another meeting should be held and a
new Assistant Commander-in-Chief elected. This would have been
absolutely illegal, for the Volksraad had decreed that the President
should be empowered to alter all the commando-laws. But even then, all
would have gone well if Roux had only stood firm. Unfortunately,
however, he yielded, and on July the 17th a meeting was called together
at which Mr. Marthinus Prinsloo was chosen Assistant Commander-in-Chief.
He had a bare majority even at the actual meeting, and several officers,
who had been unable to be present, had still to record their votes.

Not only, therefore, had Prinsloo been elected irregularly, but his
election, such as it was, could only be considered as provisional.
Nevertheless, for the moment, power was in his hands. How did he use it?

He surrendered unconditionally to the English.

On the 17th and 18th of July the enemy had broken through at
Slabbertsnek and Retiefsnek, causing the greatest confusion among our
forces.

Many of the officers and burghers were for an immediate surrender, as
appears from the fact that the same assembly which, in defiance of the
law, elected Mr. Prinsloo as Commander-in-Chief, also decided, by
seventeen votes to thirteen, to give up their forces to the enemy. But
this decision was at once rescinded--an act of policy on the part of the
officers--and it was agreed to ask for an armistice of six days, to
enable them to take counsel with the Government.

A more senseless course of action could hardly be imagined. The Boer
Army, as anybody could see, was in a very tight place. Did its officers
think that the English would be so foolish as to grant an armistice at
such a time as this--when all that the burghers wanted was a few days in
which to effect their escape? E