ng agonies--in vain!

Two cannon were taken by the Boers, one of which they destroyed at
once, keeping the other for their future use.

When all was over General Botha spoke a few touching words to his men,
thanking them for their bravery, and congratulating them on their
success.

Unpleasant though it may be to think of, it is my duty to relate that,
before burial, the soldiers were stripped of their clothes, and every
Boer permitted to take what he required, but the bodies were treated
with respect.

Naude, for purposes of his own, chose the uniform of the dead Colonel
Thorold, which had six bullet holes through it and was covered with
blood-stains.

Revolvers, leggings, whistle, helmet, all was complete, even to the
stars and crown on the Colonel's shoulders.

Naude felt himself rich indeed in the possession of articles which he
knew would be invaluable to him on his next entry into Pretoria.

One of his men took Colonel Benson's uniform, but handed the crown to
him (Naude) at his request, and then the bodies were covered with
blankets for a hurried burial.

Oh, cruel war when men slay one another!

"Oh, blest Red Cross, like an angel in the trail of the men who slay!"

There were about ten dead English _officers_ on the field and nineteen
wounded, of whom three or four died afterwards.

* * * * *

"When did you see General Botha last?" Mrs. van Warmelo inquired.

"About three weeks ago, and then he was looking well and brown. He
told me of a narrow escape he had had. He was completely surrounded
and barely got off with his life. His hat was left behind, also his
Bible and hymn-books. Lord Kitchener, courteously, and with a touch of
humour, returned the books to him with a boy's hat which had been
found on the field, thinking evidently that it belonged to the
General's little son, who was known to go everywhere with him; but
General Botha sent the hat back to Lord Kitchener with a message to
the effect that it was not his son's, but had belonged to his
'achter-ryder,' and thanking him for the books."[5]

"Tell us some of your own escapes," Hansie begged, "I am sure you have
had many."

"So many that I have forgotten them nearly all," he answered, "but one
I shall never forget."

He then related how he and twenty of his men had once been pursued for
four hours by about one thousand English. The bullets fell like hail
about them, and he was keeping the saddle he rode