On Commando

seen from the nice new suits, the new shining guns, and the sleek horses. Many ladies had come to the station to see us off, and we were proud of having the opportunity to fight

e imagined that several sharp engagements would take place-that these would be decisive battles in whic

ns for a day or two, as Government would supply us with all necessaries at Zandspruit, w

. And in the daytime our work was cut out for us, as every other minute our horses disappeared-lost among the thousands of horses that all looked exactly alike in the eyes of an inexperienced townsman. Then it meant a running and seeking, an e

nd pans were still scarce and we could not even drink a

commando. We spent the night near Volksrust in a cold hail storm and rain. Those first days we are not likely to forget. They were wet, cold days, and we were still unaccu

first victory-the taking of an armoured train at Kraaipan; at that time we still made a fu

e advanced slowly and carefully, as we expected to meet with the enemy at any moment; but we saw no signs of them until we came

ovisions enough for one. But we understood that there could not yet be a proper commissariat, and we

elightfully we were going to surprise the enemy. When the horses came to a sudden pause, and an inexperienced rider, owing to a presentiment of evil, involuntarily uttered his wish to 'halt,' we turned upon him angrily and called him 'traitor.' We did not then know that we were far beyond earshot of the enemy. It stopped raining, and towards morning we reached the mount

al Erasmus to be allowed to go on ahead as scouts. But he was very much against it, and said that the enemy might cut off our retreat, and 'if the enemy surround us it is all up with us,' said he. As soon as the roar of the cannon ceased, we withdrew some distance into the mountains to let our horses graze. But we had only just off-saddled, when from al

the order to attack the town, but it began to rain again, and that night we had to keep our positions in the intense cold, without any covering. Fortunately, the enemy abandoned t

to get them back. My uncle, Paul Maré, formerly Volksraad member for Zoutpansberg, treated u

Dundee, where we helped ourselves hungrily to the good thi

lower class Uitlander, who joined us for the sake of booty, and not for love and sympathy towards us, was largely responsible for the bad name we got among right-minded people who did not know the facts of the case. It was the same as regards theft. If anyone missed his horse, he had but to look for it among the 'Irish corps,' or some other Uitlander corps, and unless he knew his beast well he would fail to recognise it, as both mane and tail would have been cut short by the thief. I do not wish to pretend that we were always

e, a well-furnished house with beautiful pictures, books, and mirrors. Some massive silver mugs and other articles of value were lying about. The family had only just dined, for the cloth was still laid. I ate of the food on the table, wrote a letter hom

to Ladysmith it rained heavily. Every moment we expected to come up with the troops, but they had too great a start, and we did not overtake them at all. We were too late again. An English General has said that 'the Boers are brave, and make good plans, but are always twenty-four hours late.' That can be ex

sition to prevent attack in the rear. The enemy did not attack our position at all, except with a few bombs, because they suffered a great defeat near Modderspruit, and had to

had some biscuits that had first been reduced to crumbs through the riding, and then to a kind of pap by the rain and p

which had meanwhile gone to the north of Ladysmith. During our abs