fight. In many cases we could do better without them, for it was
always these people who wanted to know exactly what was "on the
cards," and whenever things turned out unpleasantly, they only misled
and discouraged others. Obviously, we were better off without them.

CHAPTER XXII.

AN IGNOMINIOUS DISPERSAL.

Commandant-General Botha, who was then invalided at Hector's Spruit
Station, now sent word that we were to join him there without delay.
He said I could send part of the commando by train, but the railway
arrangements were now all disturbed, and everything was in a muddle.
As nothing could be relied on in the way of transport, the greater
number of the men and most of the draught beasts had to "trek."

At Crocodile Gat Station the situation was no better than at
Nelspruit, and the same might be said of Kaapmuiden. Many of the
engine drivers, and many of the burghers even, who were helping in
destroying the barrels of spirits at the stations, were so excited (as
they put it) through the fumes of the drink, that the strangest
things were happening. Heavily-laden trains were going at the rate of
40 miles an hour. A terrible collision had happened between two trains
going in different directions, several burghers and animals being
killed. Striplings were shooting from the trains at whatever game they
saw, or fancied they saw, along the line, and many mishaps resulted.
These things did not tend to improve matters.

It was not so much that the officers had lost control over their men.
It seemed as if the Evil Spirit had been let loose and was doing his
very best to encourage the people to riotous enjoyment.

Hector's Spruit is the last station but one before you come to the
Portuguese frontier, and about seventeen miles from Ressano Garcia.
Here every commando stopped intending of course to push on to the
north and then to cross the mountains near Lydenburg in a westerly
direction. The day when I arrived at Hector's Spruit, President Steyn,
attended by an escort of 100 men, went away by the same route.
Meanwhile General Buller was encamped at Glyn's mines near Spitskop
and the Sabi River, which enabled him to command the mountain pass
near Mac Mac and Belvedere without the slightest trouble, and to block
the roads along which we meant to proceed. Although the late
Commandant (afterwards fighting General) Gravett occupied one of the
passes with a small commando, he was himself in constant danger of
being c