banks of the Tijgerkloofspruit, at the point where the road to
Harrismith crosses the stream.

I gave strict orders to both divisions that as soon as I opened fire on
the English with the Maxim-Nordenfeldt, they were to charge down on them
from both sides at the same time.

The enemy, I may mention, were about six or seven hundred men strong,
and had two guns.

I myself, with the Maxim-Nordenfeldt, was now on a high round hill, on
the eastern side of Tijgerkloof. I was very careful to be out of sight
of the English, so that they might get quite close to the burghers
before the gun disclosed my presence.

I succeeded in hiding my burghers so successfully that the English did
not observe them until they were within about twelve hundred paces of my
men in Tijgerkloof.

Some of the enemy's scouts rode on ahead, and when I judged that they
must almost immediately see the burghers, I ordered Captain Muller, who
was standing behind a rise, to come out of cover and open fire; then I
jumped on my horse, and down the hill I went, at full gallop, to my
burghers.

I had scarcely covered half the distance, when Captain Muller opened
fire on the enemy.

As the sound fell on my ears, it seemed to me that nothing now could
save them!

What was now my bitter disappointment when I saw that only one-third of
my burghers were charging. The others were keeping under cover, and do
what I would I could not drive them out.

Everything went wrong.

When the burghers who were charging the English discovered that the
greater part of their comrades had remained, they turned round and
retreated. But before this had happened they had attacked the English at
four different points.

It had been a short but a very hot engagement.

There was no possibility of inducing my men to charge, and so I thought
it wisest to retreat, swallowing my disappointment as best I could.

The burghers re-assembled to the south of the Langberg; and we found
that our loss was two killed and nine wounded, of whom two subsequently
died.

We could not ascertain the English losses, but we saw their ambulances
very busy. We heard afterwards that they had suffered much more severely
than we had done.

[Footnote 101: A court-martial was held at this place, and several
persons appeared before it. A certain De Lange was condemned to death
for high treason.]

CHAPTER XXXIII

A Success at Tweefontein

The column had marched to Harrismith.

It was t