buy bread, but when they had approached the house, a number of
English soldiers appeared at the door and called out "hands up!" His
friend had been captured, but he having been some fifteen paces from the
house, had managed to escape under a hail of bullets. He had had to
gallop one thousand paces before he could get out of range behind a
ridge that stretched between us and the farm. I ordered the burghers to
halt behind the ridge, and sent a small body of men ahead to determine
the strength of the enemy. We could now see that the English had hidden
their horses behind some fruit-trees. When they caught sight of our men
on the top of the ridge, they took up positions behind kraals and a
dam-wall not far from the house, knowing well that escape was
impossible.

I thought it best to send a note to this handful of men, advising them
to surrender, for I did not wish that any of my burghers' lives should
be sacrificed in an unnecessary attack. Whilst I was writing the letter
they punctuated it by an incessant fire, to which the burghers replied
by a few shots, although none of the enemy were visible. As soon,
however, as my despatch rider appeared with a white flag, their firing
ceased. The answer they returned left something to be desired--"We shall
not surrender!"

I immediately ordered fifty of my men to attack them. Hardly had I given
the order, when a number of young burghers sprung on their horses and
galloped at break-neck pace towards the kraals.

And now there was an end to all boasting, for without firing a single
shot the enemy surrendered.

We took twenty prisoners there, and an equal number of rifles and
bandoliers. The horses we captured--again twenty in number--were in
excellent condition, and all up-saddled. We now had made ninety men our
prisoners since we crossed the Orange River.

The joy of the Broodspioen, who had been for fifty minutes in the hands
of the English, was very great; and I believe he never returned again to
his very doubtful profession.

The following day we came to a farm about six miles to the east of
Houtkraal Station, which we christened Moddervlei,[87] on account of the
experience we had on the night following our arrival.

The great English force was close behind us, and when night fell the
enemy were not more than five miles from us.

It was at the hour of sunset, shortly before we came to the swamp, which
I shall presently describe, that my scouts came across fifteen of th