What a disillusion it was to find on our arrival at Zandspruit that there were no tents, and as yet no provisions of any kind!  So we were initiated by having to pass the first nights of our commando life on the open veld with insufficient food.  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 examining of marks and tokens, until the stupid among us were obliged to tie ribbons to our horses as a means of recognising them.  And one, the story goes, even tied a nosebag, with a bundle of forage, to his mount so that it should not run away.

At length the provisions began to arrive, but the pots and pans were still scarce and we could not even drink a cup of coffee till a tin of jam or meat had been emptied.

We were just beginning to feel comfortable, when the time stated in the ultimatum expired, and we had to cross the boundary of Natal.  General Erasmus was at the head of our 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 unaccustomed to preparing our own food and looking after ourselves.  Fortunately, we had the opportunity, a few days later, of supplying ourselves with all necessaries at Newcastle.

Before we crossed the boundary General Erasmus had addressed us and told us the news of our first victory—­the taking of an armoured train at Kraaipan; at that time we still made a fuss about such a trifle.  Also, in those days, we still looked up with respect to our leaders.

Ds.  Postma, who accompanied us everywhere, led us in prayer.  Not one of the burghers seems to have known where the enemy were.  We 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 to Dundee.  After a rest of a few days we undertook the momentous expedition to the mountains of Dundee, to the north of the town.

Towards evening we got the order to ‘prepare for three days.’  For three days!  And we had not even provisions enough for one.  But we understood that there could not yet be a proper commissariat, and we fought for our country willingly, convinced of the justice of our cause; so we ‘prepared’ cheerfully.

Before the commando started, a terrible thunderstorm came on that slowly passed over and was followed by a gentle rain.  We rode hard in the dark, through dongas, past farms and houses, zigzagging in a half-circle, to the mountains of Dundee.  No sound was to be heard except the dull thud of the hoofs of the galloping horses.  Now and again we whispered to each other how delightfully 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