ering, when reinforcements arrived. He was thus forced
to retire, and then discovered that the enemy were approaching our
laager; and he had a hair's breadth escape from capture in bringing me
the report.]

[Footnote 66: "Mooi" means beautiful in the Taal language.]

CHAPTER XIX

I Return to the Free State

Whilst we were encamped on the Krokodil River, President Steyn expressed
a wish to pay a visit, with the Members of his Government, to the
Government of the South African Republic, which was then at Machadodorp.
This was no easy task to accomplish, for one would have to pass through
a part of the Transvaal where there was a great scarcity of water--it
was little better than a desert--and where in some places the Kaffirs
were unfriendly. In other words, one would have to go through the
Boschveldt. There would also be some danger from the English, since the
President would have to cross the Pietersburg Railway, which was in that
direction.

However, this plan was approved.

I decided not to accompany the President, but to return at once with two
hundred riders to the Orange Free State. I intended to make it known on
the farms which I passed on the way that I was going back, hoping thus
to draw the attention of the English from our laager.

I called together the Commandants, and informed them of my intention.
They agreed that the course I proposed was the right one. Commandant
Steenekamp was then nominated to act as Assistant Commander-in-Chief,
with the duty of conducting the laager through the Boschveldt.

On August the 14th President Steyn left the laager on his way to
Machadodorp; and I myself took my departure three days later. I took
with me General Philip Botha and Commandant Prinsloo, and 200 men, and
also Captain Scheepers with his corps, which consisted of thirty men.
With the addition of my staff we numbered altogether 246 men.

Thus our ways parted--the President going to the Government of the South
African Republic, the laager to the north, and I back to the Free State.
I had now to cross the Magalies Mountains. The nearest two passes were
Olifantsnek and Commandonek. But the first named was too much to the
west, and the second was probably occupied by the English. I therefore
decided to take a footpath that crossed the mountains between the two
saddles. I was forced to choose this middle road because I had no means
of ascertaining whether Commandonek was, or was not, in the hands of the