ore him. We were not long
awaiting the answer. It came that evening. It was short and to the point:
"Chief will gladly see Colonel Gordon at Bloemfontein as soon as railway
opens."

A few days afterwards a further telegram arrived to the following effect:
"Colonel Gordon will proceed to Naauport as soon as possible en route for
Bloemfontein. Four horses for the above-named officer and two grooms to
be sent on after him the very first opportunity." I at once left Capetown
and, passing through Naauport, reached Norval's Pont, where the railway
crossed from the Cape Colony to the Orange Free State. A really
magnificent railway bridge had been completed a few years before, but
just previous to my arrival the Boers, retreating northwards across the
river, had blown up the fine piers supporting the two centre spans. The
bridge was useless. However, the South African Railway Pioneer Corps had
with extraordinary rapidity thrown a pontoon bridge across the river.

Though Lord Roberts had by this time taken Bloemfontein, having marched
across and fought his way from the west at Paardeberg to the east at
Bloemfontein, the southern portion of the Orange River State from the
bridge-head at Norval's Pont to Bloemfontein was still in the hands of
the Boers, and it was through this country that the railway line made its
way northwards to Bloemfontein. On my arrival at Norval's Pont the
railway officer in charge informed me that I would have to wait until a
train came to the other side of the river from Bloemfontein. I had to
wait two days only. In the meantime, Lord Kitchener, accompanied by the
general manager of the Bank of South Africa at Capetown, reached Norval's
Pont, and crossed the river. A fourth passenger turned up. It was Rudyard
Kipling, if I remember rightly.

The journey to Bloemfontein did not occupy many hours. We arrived in the
evening, just before dark. I made my way to one of the hotels. Curiously
enough, somehow, I caught sight of a flagstaff over the hotel. It had a
flag on it but it was evidently tied down to the pole. After arranging
for my room at the hotel I got on to the roof to see what the flag was,
and found it to be an Orange River Colony flag, which had evidently been
overlooked by the authorities. I took possession of it.

Next morning I reported myself at headquarters. In the train journey from
Norval's Pont I had had an opportunity of describing my proposition to
Lord Kitchener and talking it over w