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In the Shadow of Death by P. H. Kritzinger;R. D. McDonald
page 77 of 220 (35%)
finally reached the halting-place.

"The following morning at sunrise we started for Bezuidenhoud's
farm, which was close by. There the burghers received their
instructions from De Wet. With regard to their conduct in the Cape
Colony it was pointed out to them that they should treat the
colonists in such a way as would ensure their friendship. On no
account were they to molest the peaceful neutral British subjects,
for they were not at war with the colonists. They were also
forbidden to take anything from British subjects without paying the
proper value for the thing required. There were some more
injunctions, which have escaped my memory. No wonder that one
should forget when chased as we were. I believe these orders were,
as a rule, obeyed. In fact I should say we erred in adhering so
strictly to them, for we met some ultra-loyalists who would not
give or sell us so much as a morsel of food. Now when any one is
hungry, and people will neither give nor sell, what else can he do
than help himself? If he does not, it is his own fault should he
starve. At a certain farm we offered a sovereign for one bucket of
meal, but all in vain; when we asked the woman for a glass of
water, she pointed us to a spring some distance off. Shameful, is
it not! Next time we shall, I am afraid, not be so over-polite. One
learns a lot every day.

"At 11 A.M. our scouts reported that they had sighted two columns
about 7 miles from us. And now our troubles and hardships
commenced. What we anticipated and dreaded had actually taken
place. The enemy had occupied all the passes in front of us,
preventing us thereby from crossing the railway at the intended
point between Norval's Pont and Colesberg. We had now to go in that
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