ce through the nigger's
arm, still shouting "Hands up," the black man retreating, also
vociferously shrieking "Hands up, boss; hands up!"

When his master asked him why he had shouted "Hands up" so
persistently though he was running away, he answered: "Ah, boss, me
hear every day people say, 'Hands up;' now me think this means kaffir
'Soebat' (to beg). I thought it mean, 'Leave off, please,' but the
more I shouted 'Hands up' English boss prod me with his assegai all
the same."

On our right General De la Rey had an equally awkward position; the
British here also made several determined attempts to turn his flank,
but were repulsed each time. Once during an attack on our right, their
convoy came so close to our position that our artillery and our
Mausers were enabled to pour such a fire into them that the mules
drawing the carts careered about the veldt at random, and the greatest
confusion ensued. British mules were "pro-Boer" throughout the War.
The ground, however, was not favourable for our operations, and we
failed to avail ourselves of the general chaos. Towards the evening of
the second day General Tobias Smuts made an unpardonable blunder in
falling back with his commandos. There was no necessity for the
retreat; but it served to show the British that there was a weak point
in our armoury. Indeed, the following day the attack in force was made
upon this point. The British had meantime continued pouring in
reinforcements, men as well as guns.

About two o clock in the afternoon Smuts applied urgently for
reinforcements, and I was ordered by the Commandant-General to go to
his position. A ride of a mile and a half brought us near Smuts; our
horses were put behind a "randje," the enemy's bullets and shells
meantime flying over their heads without doing much harm. We then
hurried up on foot to the fighting line, but before we could reach the
position General Smuts and his burghers had left it. At first I was
rather in the dark as to what it all meant until we discovered that
the British had won Smuts' position, and from it were firing upon us.
We fell down flat behind the nearest "klips" and returned the fire,
but were at a disadvantage, since the British were above us. I never
heard where General Smuts and his burghers finally got to. On our left
we had Commandant Kemp with the Krugersdorpers; on the right
Field-Cornet Koen Brits. The British tried alternately to get through
between one of my neighbours and myse