and through the following day. Then President Steyn and I parted. He
went to Bezuidenhoutsdrift, and I, by way of Frankfort, to the Heilbron
commando. I remained at Frankfort for one night, with Commandant Ross
and his men, and had a very enjoyable time.

With the Heilbron people I stayed a few days only, because I had
important work to accomplish in the Winburg district; to this district
therefore I went.

As the commandos were now so scattered there was enough work for each of
us in his own district, and I had much more riding to do than formerly.
I found Commandant Hasebroek and his men at Doornberg a few days later.
Whilst there I received from President Steyn a report of his narrow
escape at Reitz, on the 11th of July, 1901, when he and some of his
bodyguard escaped, whilst, unfortunately, Commandant Davel and all the
members of the Government, except Mr. W.C.J. Brebner, who was absent,
were taken prisoners.

From Winburg I paid a visit to Vice-Commandant-in-Chief J. Hattingh, of
the Kroonstad commando, and then went to President Steyn. My joy in
finding that the President was safe, was only equalled by my grief at
the loss of such old friends as General Cronje, Member of the Executive
Council; General J.B. Wessels; T. Brain, Secretary to the Government;
Commandant Davel; Rocco De Villiers, Secretary to the Executive Council;
Gordon Fraser, Private Secretary to the President; MacHardy, Assistant
Secretary; Pieter Steyn, brother of the President and Veldtcornet of the
staff; and my other friends in the bodyguard. It was sad to think that
such men were prisoners, and were lost to us so long as the war
continued. We had become rather accustomed to such experiences, but what
made this so hard to bear was that treachery had a hand in it--when the