illside just outside the north of the town,
and beside a sort of small suburb on the further side of the creek.

Since leaving Heidelberg we had marched 289 miles. But of this
distance 123 had been covered in the week during which we pursued De
Wet, and 228 in the fortnight commencing August 7th. The longest
distance covered in any one day had been the 25 miles on the day we
turned. This marching was not done on roads it must be remembered, but
across country, over hills, and through rivers, with frequent troubles
with the unfortunate transport to overcome, and with very little food,
and that of an inferior quality.

So ended our attempt on foot to catch De Wet on a thoroughbred. It was
hopeless from the first, and yet went within measurable distance of
succeeding, though even if we had rounded up some of his force at
Olifant's Nek, it is very doubtful if De Wet himself would have been
caught.

CHAPTER IV.

SEPTEMBER IN THE GATSRAND.

'Why gaddest thou about so much?'

_Jer._ ii. 36.

From August 23rd to 28th we obtained a very welcome week's rest, which
would have been more enjoyable had the weather not broken badly,
resulting in a succession of cold, high winds and heavy thunderstorms.
These latter were of the most abominable description and a severe
trial to those of us whose nervous systems were so constituted as to
be affected by them. Some declared that they liked them; others
frankly admitted that they detested them. They seemed to have a way of
coming along about 4 p.m., and as soon as they got into position,
immediately above our heads, opened fire. Needless to say, in the
course of the long campaign there were a good many very narrow shaves,
and one of our men was actually killed by lightning. The storms were
almost invariably accompanied by torrential rain, which, though adding
greatly to our discomfort, mitigated the danger, the local cognoscenti
assuring us that even they looked upon a dry thunderstorm as no joke.

The regiment was a good deal split up at this time owing to the men we
had dropped behind us on our late trek; they had fallen out from a
variety of causes, but ninety per cent. of them on account of sore
feet or lack of boots. There were no less than 160 at Wolverdiend, 50
at Rhenoster, 40 at Wolverhoek, and so on. The Colonel made many
attempts to gather up his chickens once more, but when we started on
our next trek we were still deficient of a