When on the next morning I sent my scouts out to discover the movements
of the enemy, what was my surprise when they reported that they had
fled. They had gone, my scouts informed me, towards Heilbron, which was
about eighteen miles off, and they had left behind them five laden
waggons and one cart; and where they had crossed Karoospruit they had,
very naturally, lightened their waggons, and flour, seed, oats,
tarpaulins, and tents marked the point where they had crossed the
spruit. The enemy were already so far ahead when I received this report
that it was quite out of the question to catch them before they reached
Heilbron; so all idea of pursuing them had to be abandoned.

So far as I was able to find out, this column was under the command of
Colonel Rimington.

As I was unable now to get in touch with the enemy, I set off with my
commando to what was once the town of Lindley. Alas! it could not any
more be called a town. Every house was burnt down; not even the church
and parsonage were spared.

We found the veldt in very good condition; the early spring rains and
the downpours of the previous day had quite revived the grass. And so I
decided to remain at Lindley as long as possible, to give our horses a
chance of recovering their condition. It was impossible to provide them
with forage, for the amount the English had left behind was entirely
insufficient as a supply for the large number of horses we had with us.

For ten or twelve days we remained at Lindley, and so the horses had a
short breathing time, but not long enough to give the poor animals time
fully to regain their strength. In addition to being overworked, some of
our horses were suffering from a skin disease which we were quite unable
to cure. This disease had never before been known in the Republics.

When I was at Lindley I sent Commandant Johannes Meijer, one of my
staff, with forty men, to Cape Colony. With him went that brave soldier,
Captain Willem Pretorius, of whom I have made mention previously. If
Commandant Meijer had had sufficient time to collect a commando in the
Colony, I am sure that he would have proved that the younger generation
of Free-Staters, to whom he and Willem Pretorius belonged, possess
qualities which were entirely unsuspected before the war began.

On the 8th of December three columns of the enemy appeared from
Kroonstad.

It had been my plan to remain at Lindley and wait my chance of dealing
with Colonel Baker, fo