to
ascertain as soon as possible how many had been left behind belonging to
General Ridley's brigade. I did so, and found that they had left behind
somewhere about a thousand. He said: "Very well. I now want you to put
all those details together, organize them into a mounted column, equip
them, and get the requisite number of horses within a week or ten days if
practicable. I have given instructions that your wants are to be attended
to by all the parties concerned as early as possible. You will then leave
Bloemfontein; the column will march, passing to the westward of Karee
Siding, to Brandfort. Then, with a wide sweep to the westward, returning
to the railway line at Small Deel. You will receive further orders at
Small Deel as to what route to take from that place to Kroonstad. I shall
be looking for your arrival, if all goes well with you, and I am counting
upon your arriving with between twelve and fifteen hundred horses, in
good condition, to replace the losses in horseflesh amongst the mounted
troops in my advance. I fully anticipate that as we drive the Boers
northwards on our broad front--the centre of which will be practically
the main railway line--numbers of them will break away to our flanks,
clear them, and then close in backwards in our rear to attack our lines
of communications. I don't think that they'll be expecting any mounted
columns of any strength to be following up behind. So that you have got
to watch for them and deal them a nasty blow if you come across them.

"So you understand. Your two special duties are: first, to watch the
lines of communications, and secondly, so to nurse your horses that they
may arrive as fit as possible. By the by, I don't think I have told you
that I have appointed you to command the column. I don't think it will
interfere with your other duties, as I know you've got them well in
hand."

I thanked him, but I pointed out that my greatest difficulty in equipping
the brigade had undoubtedly been to obtain suitable transport. I very
much doubted if, after the general advance from Bloemfontein, there
remained a single decent wagon or cart behind.

"Well," he said, "I know that. You must travel as light as you can. Make
use of the railway line as much as possible, and collar whatever vehicles
you can get. Good luck! I'll see you at Kroonstad."

My column altogether numbered about seventeen hundred. The night we
arrived at Brandfort the officer commanding was glad to see u