special proclamation on the subject. But the Dutch adhered to their
first determination; there is no place like home; leave it they would
not. Mr. Wessels, they insinuated, would not find them new houses and
gardens; nor too much to eat--not even half a pound of meat (perhaps).
There were only three or four families prepared to pack up and with more
reluctance than exultation take their departure.

The possibility of springing something in the nature of a surprise upon
the enemy was a thought which had long exercised the mind of Colonel
Kekewich. The idea culminated in a stiff fight on Thursday. Three or
four hundred of our mounted men had remained up all night, and two guns
of the _Diamond Fields' Artillery_ had no sleep either. It was still
dark when the cavalcade fell into line and proceeded noiselessly along a
ridge leading to Carter's Farm (occupied by the Boers). Daylight had not
yet broken when the men in khaki reached their destination--reached it,
because owing to the recent rains a thick mist obscured the landscape,
and the invaders found themselves in closer proximity to the Farm than
they desired to be--in fact they were right among the "Grabbers." The
surprise was complete--far too complete, for the attackers were as much
astonished as were the yawning Boers. Both sides, however, retained
sufficient presence of mind to shoot at each other; and they did. The
enemy roused from their slumbers had their vision clarified
effectively, an operation which had the drawback of enabling them the
better to see their visitors. The battle waxed fierce, and when
re-inforcements came galloping to the assistance of the Boers it looked
as if the Light Horse must be worsted. But the artillery was behind
them, and from it was belched forth a hail of shrapnel which compelled
the re-inforcements to draw rein and "pant to the place from whence at
first they flew." Our guns away back at the Reservoir also contributed
to this result. Thus it was that the task of evicting the Boers was in