to continue
our march; later on in the day we off-saddled for a short time and then
went on again, so as to be able to cross the Caledon River before it
became impossible to do so. I can assure you that it rained so hard
while we were fording the Caledon, that, as the Boers say, "It was
enough to kill the big devils and cut off the legs of the little ones."
We then marched on--still through heavy rain.

Commandant Truter, who was in command of the rear-guard, had left a
Krupp and an ammunition waggon behind. I was not at all pleased about
this, but, as we had not a single round of Krupp ammunition left, the
gun would only have hampered us.

That evening we reached the Orange River, at a point some three miles to
the north of Odendaalsstroom, but, alas! what a sight met our eyes! The
river was quite impassable owing to the floods, and, in addition, the
ford was held by English troops stationed on the south bank.

Our position was beginning to be critical, for there was an English
garrison at Aliwal North, so that I could not cross the Orange River by
the bridge there. It was also highly probable that the Caledon would be
in flood, and I knew that General Charles Knox had left a division of
his troops at Smithfield--they would be sure to be holding the bridge
over the Caledon at Commissiedrift. Moreover, Jammerbergsdrift, near
Wepener, was doubtless well guarded, so that there, too, I would have no
chance of crossing the river. There was still Basutoland, but we did not
wish to cross its borders--we were on good terms with the Basutos and
we could not afford to make enemies of them. Surely we had enough
enemies already!

To make the best of a bad job I sent Commandant Kritzinger[76] and
Captain Scheepers, with their three hundred men, to march in the
direction of Rouxville with orders that as soon as the Orange River
became fordable, they were to cross it into Cape Colony without delay. I
entertained no doubt that they would succeed.

Everything is as it must be, and unless one is a sluggard--who brings
trouble upon himself by doing nothing to avoid it--one has no reason to
complain.

Such were my thoughts as I contemplated our situation.

The Orange River was in flood--the Government and I, therefore, could
not possibly remain where we were for long. The English were so fond of
us that they would be sure to be paying us a visit! No, to wait there
until the river was fordable was not to be thought of.

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