n it
was at last assembled, we marched off due west, towards the sound of
heavy firing in the distance. A march of fourteen miles brought us
within sight and almost within range of a long, low line of kopjes,
and here, we were informed on our arrival, was the famous guerilla
chief, surrounded--so we were informed--at last, and only awaiting the
arrival of our column to be finished off altogether. Without going so
far as some of the subalterns, who on hearing he was surrounded seemed
to anticipate the sight of De Wet in the middle of a sort of cock-pit,
with the British forces sitting round, there still seemed a
considerable number of sufficiently large gaps in the chain of columns
and brigades slowly and ponderously extending round either flank of
the Boer position. The firing we had heard had been from the Boer
guns, they having shelled the Derbyshire Regiment out of their camp,
which had been pitched imprudently close to the harmless-looking
kopjes. Needless to say, there was not a move of any sort to be seen,
and how on earth three or four thousand men managed to conceal
themselves so absolutely must ever remain a marvel. True, their camp
was beyond the crest-line, but it is certain they had outposts and
sentries on the look-out, and these must of necessity have been posted
where they could see us; but certain it was we could not see them,
carefully as telescopes and Zeiss glasses swept every inch of the
hills.

Unfortunately we had to leave eighty-nine men behind at the railway,
as they had no boots, a serious matter with every probability of a
stiff fight on our hands: for General Hart's orders were to prevent De
Wet going south; to attack, if necessary, to make him go north, but
not to allow him to go in any other direction. This being so, our
object was effected, as will appear later on.

Another and equally sudden interruption to a meal took place on
August 1st. Marshall's Horse, a Colonial corps of whom we saw a good
deal, had gone out on a reconnaissance in the morning, and had some
scrapping with the enemy's patrols, &c. But now word suddenly came
that they were surrounded, and in a tight corner. Hastily dropping
knives and forks, we fell in almost at the double, and, though
somewhat struck by the incongruity and apparent anomaly in the fact of
our cavalry being surrounded by the Boers when we had been distinctly
informed that it was we who were surrounding them, set off as hard as
we could lay legs to the