horses, over these lines during the day. The women with the old and aged
would retreat with the cattle and sheep until they came in touch with
the blockhouses, and were then often captured, one and all.

If it had not been for these little shanties all over the two republics,
it would have taken the British forces double if not treble the time to
have so thoroughly exhausted the late republics of food supplies. When
the republics were cut up into so many small sections it became
impossible to protect our foodstuffs.

From the railway line we went to Rouxville district, where we enjoyed a
rest of ten days. But on the 1st of September the enemy came in large
numbers and till the 22nd of October harassed us almost daily.

As I was anxious to return to the commandoes I left behind in the Cape
Colony, I thought it feasible to cross the fighting line, and take my
commando to Ladybrand district, where the enemy would probably leave us
unmolested for a while, and where the veldt provided ample food for our
horses. Thither we directed our steps, and for a month we saw no signs
of the British.

On the 23rd of November we were again south of the
Bloemfontein-Ladybrand fighting line, and on our way to the Cape
Colony. My first intention was to ford the Orange River near Aliwal
North, but I soon realised that we would be incurring too great a risk
in trying to cross the river there, for about twenty or twenty-five
columns were then sweeping the southern districts of the Orange Free
State. Now if the river was in flood these columns could press us
against it, and we would then be in an awful predicament. So I resolved
to cut the wire of the main line near Springfontein Junction, and from