ain body broke off in small
parties and found their way back to the Orange Free State.

"By the 19th we had pushed on as far as Brak River, about twelve
miles from Prieska. Here we met with another disappointment, which
almost proved fatal to our whole commando. The river was in flood
and no transit possible. In what a dreadful plight we were! Hardly
eight miles behind us the British columns were stationed in
crescent shape; in front was the swollen Brak River, and nine miles
to our right was the Orange River, and that in flood. Here at least
it seemed as if De Wet would be caught, and though he escaped, this
certainly was one of the tightest corners in which he ever found
himself.

"About two hours before sunset we heard that the enemy was rapidly
approaching us. Anxiously we asked ourselves, Whither now? We could
not return, we could not ford the river; to proceed up-stream would
expose us to the risk of being quartered against the river. There
was but one course to follow, and that an extremely hazardous one.
We could march down the Brak River as far as the Orange River, and
then proceed along the latter. Between us and the enemy there was
then a ridge, extending parallel with the Orange River. Behind this
ridge we would be out of the enemy's view. Should they reach this
elevation before it was dark, we would be pressed, with fatal
consequences to ourselves, against a swollen river. But here
darkness proved our salvation once more. We proceeded down the Brak
River and up the Orange River. When the enemy came to the ridge
mentioned it was so dark that they could see no traces of us.

"De Wet had now decided to fall back on the Orange Free State. To
many of us this was a bitter disappointment; but we saw that
nothing else could be done under the circumstances. With tired
horses and many burghers on foot we could not hope to circumvent
the enemy. Others, especially those who had suffered most in
walking, were enraptured at the idea of going back to the Free
State. Their drooping spirits revived, and with renewed courage
they started on the homeward march.

"The whole of that night we trekked along the banks of the Orange
River, parallel to the British columns. We tried one ford after the
other, but to our dismay the stream was impassable. T