ing for darkness, some burghers, who were not my
scouts, brought a report that there were English camps both at
Honingspruit and at Kaallaagte.

This alarmed the President and the members of the Government, because,
should this report prove true, we should be unable to cross the railway
line without hard fighting, and besides there would be a considerable
risk of being taken prisoner.

For myself, I did not pay any attention to these burghers. I relied on
my own scouts, and I waited for their reports. I knew that if there had
been any truth in what we had been told, that I should have heard the
news already from the men whom I had sent out in the morning in that
direction. At last some of Captain Scheepers' men appeared--he was
scouting in front, and Captain Danie Theron in the rear--and reported
that the railway line was clear, with the exception that at Honingspruit
there were half a dozen tents, and four in the Kaallaagte[63] to the
north of Serfontein, and a few small outposts. This information came as
a great relief to the President and the members of the Government.

If I was to escape from the large force which was dogging my footsteps,
it was now necessary to cross the railway. I had made all preparation
for this move. I had left behind me, that afternoon, on the banks of
Doornspruit a commando of burghers, with orders to keep the enemy back
until we should have crossed the line. And now I only waited until the
darkness should come to my assistance.

As soon as the night came I ordered the waggons to proceed in four rows,
with a force on each side, and with a rearguard and vanguard.
Immediately behind the vanguard followed the President and myself. When
we were about twenty minutes' march from the railway line I ordered the
two wings of my force, which were about three miles apart, to occupy the
line to the right and left of Serfontein Siding.

Before we had quite reached the railway I ordered the vanguard to remain
with the President, whilst I myself, with fifteen men, rode on to cut
the telegraph wire. Whilst we were engaged in this task a train
approached at full speed from the south. I had no dynamite with me, and
I could neither blow it up nor derail it. I could only place stones on
the line, but these were swept away by the cowcatcher, and so the train
passed in safety.

I had forbidden any shooting, for an engagement would have only produced
the greatest confusion in my big laager.

Just as the la