rse--six miles an hour.]

[Footnote 11: Clear off.]

[Footnote 12: Hill.]

[Footnote 13: Literally, watch-fire men. They were the furthest
outposts, whose duty it was to signal by means of their fires.]

[Footnote 14: Pioneers.]

CHAPTER III

Ladysmith Besieged

The Orange Free State and the South African Republic held a joint
council of war on the 1st of November, and it was then decided to lay
siege to Ladysmith.

We also agreed to send out a horse-commando in the direction of
Estcourt. This commando, under Vice-General Louis Botha, had several
skirmishes with the enemy. On the 15th of November he engaged an
armoured train, capturing a hundred of the British troops. This was
General Botha's chief exploit, and shortly afterwards he returned to
camp. But I must not anticipate.

On the night of the council of war, General Piet Cronje was sent to
occupy positions to the south and south-west of Ladysmith. He had with
him the Heilbron burghers, a part of the commandos from Winburg and
Harrismith, and two Krupp guns. On the following day a brush took place
with the enemy, who, however, speedily fell back on Ladysmith. On the
3rd, a few of their infantry regiments, with a thousand or fifteen
hundred mounted troops, and two batteries of 15 and 12-pound Armstrong
guns, marched out of the town in a south-westerly direction.

The English brought these two guns into position at such a distance from
us that we could not reach them with the Mauser; nor would it have been
safe for us to advance upon them, for between them and us lay an open
plain, which would have afforded no cover. One of our guns, which was
placed exactly in front of the enemy, did indeed begin to fire; but
after a shot or two, it received so much attention from the English
artillery that we were compelled--just as at Rietfontein--to desist.

The British infantry and cavalry did not show any excessive eagerness to
tackle us; and we, on our side, were as disinclined to come to close
quarters with them. Nevertheless, the enemy's infantry, backed up by the
thunder of twelve guns, did make an attempt to reach us; but though they
advanced repeatedly, they were for the most part careful to keep out of
range of our rifles. When they neglected this precaution, they soon
found themselves compelled to retire with loss.

Our second gun, which had been placed on a _tafel-kop_[15] to the east
of the ground where the engagement was taking place, did excell