of Baltespoort, which stands on the banks of
the Rhenoster River, fifteen miles from the drift. The following night I
returned by the way I had come, and crossed the river a little to the
west of Schoemansdrift.

When on the following night we were again in the saddle I heard from
many a mouth, "Whither now?"

Our destination was Frederiksstad Station, where we were to engage
General Barton. Previous to an attack, thorough scouting should always
take place. Accordingly I sent out my scouts, and discovered that
General Liebenberg had entirely cut off the English from their
communications, so that, except for heliographic messages, they were
entirely out of touch with the rest of their forces. Now I do not know
if they had "smelt a rat," but they were certainly well entrenched near
the station on ridges to the south-east and to the north.

We had therefore to besiege General Barton in his entrenchments. For the
first five days we held positions to the east, to the south, and to the
north-west. On the fifth day I agreed with General Liebenberg that we
should take up a new position on the embankment north-west of the
strongest part of the English encampment. This position was to be held
by two hundred men, of whom I gave eighty to General Froneman and one
hundred and twenty to General Liebenberg. It was a position that we
could not leave during the day without great danger, and it needed a
large force to hold it, for its garrison had to be strong enough to
defend itself if it should be attacked.

If only my arrangements had been carried out all would have gone well.

But what happened?

I thought that two hundred men had gone in accordance with my orders to
that position. Instead of this there were only eighty there when, on the
following morning, a very strong reinforcement of English, ordered up by
General Barton, appeared from the direction of Krugersdorp. I did not
hear of this reinforcement till it was so close that there was no chance
for me to keep it back. In fact, when I got the report the enemy were
already storming the unfortunate handful of burghers and firing fiercely
upon them. If these burghers had only had enough ammunition they would
have been able to defend themselves, but as they were obliged to keep up
a continuous fire on the storming party their cartridges were speedily
exhausted. When this happened there was nothing for them to do but to
fly. This they did under a fierce fire from three guns, w