ction of Wolvehoek Station, and on the
following night crossed the line between Vredefortweg and Wolvehoek,
where I wrecked the railway at various points, and also took prisoner a
small force of thirteen who had been lying asleep in their tents. This
last incident happened early in the morning of September 30th.

We had crossed the line, and were about three miles on the further side
of it, when a train came up and bombarded us with an Armstrong and a
Maxim-Nordenfeldt, without however doing any damage. Our guns were too
far behind the vanguard, and the poor horses too tired to go back for
them, or we should have answered their fire. However, we got an
opportunity of using our big guns against 200 mounted men, who had
pursued us, but who, when they saw we were ready to receive them, turned
round and--took the shortest road to safety!

That evening we marched to a place a little to the south of Parijs, and
the following day to the kopjes west of Vredefort. There we stayed a few
days until the enemy again began to concentrate at Heilbron.

I then divided my commando into two parts. One part I took with me,
while I sent the Harrismith burghers (those at least who had not gone
home with the waggons) under General Philip Botha, in the direction of
Kroonstad, where he would meet the commando of that district, which had
received orders to operate to the west of the railway line. General
Philip Botha nominated Veldtcornet P. De Vos as Commandant of the
Kroonstad contingent instead of Commandant Frans Van Aard. He made a
good choice, for Commandant De Vos was not only a valiant officer, but
also a strictly honourable man.

For some days the enemy remained encamped on the farm called Klipstapel,
which lies to the south-east of Vredefort. Then they attacked us. We
held our own for a day and a half, but at last had to retreat to the
Vaal River, whither the English, doubtless thinking that we were again
going to Waterberg, did not pursue us. This was on the 7th of October,
1900.

I now received a report from General Liebenberg that General Barton and
his column were in the neighbourhood of Frederiksstad Station. He asked
me (as he was too weak to venture anything alone) whether I would join
him in an attack upon the English General. I decided to do so, and sent
him a confidential letter saying that I would join him in a week's time.

In order to mislead the English, I retreated ostentatiously through
Schoemansdrift to the farm