the 21st, to move
as rapidly as circumstances would permit, and to occupy and hold the
town until he himself arrived with the main body later in the day.
The newly acquired guide was detailed to accompany the advance column.
By nine o'clock in the morning this advanced column was in position to
bear down upon the little prairie township. The colonel of the 21st,
well versed in the tactics best suited to surprise a village on the
open plain, extended a squadron into a horn-like formation, and
galloped, as he imagined, to the surprise of the inhabitants. The
sequel was very different to what had been expected. Save for women,
the village was deserted, while from the high ground and hills to the
north-east, a fully prepared posse from Botmann's commando opened a
heavy rifle-fire on those cavalrymen who had been detached to occupy
the farther approaches. Our Intelligence guide, who by some means had
disappeared during the later progress of the advance, was at once in
evidence as soon as the town was entered. He rode straight as a die to
a small store which ornamented the main street. Ultimately it proved
that he was the owner of this store.

The first comment of the intelligent reader will be that the action of
the guide was clumsy, both in design and execution, and that a column
thus duped deserves to meet with ill success. The guide's action was
undoubtedly clumsy, but it must be remembered that he had had long
experience of the British: he knew as well as every other man of
similar calibre in South Africa how far he could afford to play with
their forbearance. As far as the staff of the New Cavalry Brigade was
concerned, once the guide was admitted to the confidence of the
general the possibility of checking his further machinations was
beyond their reach. The fault lay with those who had given him his
credentials. Yet there was no proof against the man: he allowed that
the store was his, he admitted that he had sent one of his natives on
ahead of the column, claimed that he had permission thus to use the
native, who, he assured us, was one of the most trusted and loyal
scouts that the British had. For what reason had he sent him? The
answer was simple enough. He had only sent him with a message to the
man who was looking after his store, with instructions not to open it
after daybreak lest it should be looted by friend and foe alike. It
was a pity, as it subsequently proved, that we failed to make him
produce this loya