enemy.

On August 18th we arrived at a house where some Germans were living--the
parents and sisters of Mr. Penzhorn, Secretary to General Piet Cronje.
They were exceedingly friendly to us, and did all in their power to make
us comfortable.

We did not stay here for long, but were on the march again the same day.
Soon after we had mounted our horses we came in sight of a large English
camp, which was stationed on the road from Rustenburg to Pretoria,
between Commandonek and Krokodil River. This camp lay about six miles to
the south-east of the point where we first saw it. Another great camp
stood about seven miles to the north-west.

The enemy could see us clearly, as it was open veldt, with only a few
bushes cropping up here and there. We now rode on in the direction of
Wolhuterskop, which is close to the Magalies Mountains. I thought I
should thus be able to reach the great road from Rustenburg to Pretoria,
which was eight or nine miles from the footpath across the Magaliesberg.
When we were about two miles east of Wolhuterskop we suddenly came upon
two English scouts. One of them we captured; and he told us that there
was a great force of the enemy in front of us and marching in our
direction. What could we do now? It was impossible to proceed along the
footpath because that road was closed by the enemy. North and west of us
there were other bodies of troops, as I have already said; and there,
directly in front of us, were the chains of the Magaliesbergen. Thus we
found ourselves between four fires.

In addition to this, I was much troubled by the thought that our horses
were now exhausted by all this endless marching. I knew this was also
the case with the English horses, but for all I knew, they might have
obtained fresh ones from Pretoria. They could at all events have picked
the best horses from each camp, and thus send an overpowering force
against me. This was one of those moments when a man has to keep his
presence of mind, or else all is lost.

Whilst I was still thinking the matter over, troops began to come out of
the camps, about two miles to the west of us on the road between
Wolhuterskop and Magaliesberg. The scout who had escaped might now be
with that force. I had therefore to act at once.

I decided on climbing the Magalies Mountains, without a path or road!

Near by there was a Kaffir hut, and I rode up to it. When the Kaffir
came out to me, I pointed to the Magalies Mountains, and asked:--