Our communication with the starting-point continued fairly good until we came within six miles of Heilbron, when it suddenly failed.  I went back along the line, and eventually found the fault.  After having repaired it and given my pony an hour’s rest, I took a short cut for Heilbron, and arrived there at ten that night, only to find that during the time occupied by my return ride the wire had again stopped working.  Having been in the saddle since six in the morning, I could do no more that night, although the Government, now installed here, was anxiously awaiting the resumption of communication.  Early the next morning I started back.  I considered it best to start testing from the middle of the line, and therefore went by road instead of following the fence.  A few miles out of town I met De Wet’s force, which was just retreating from Ventersburg.  The men and animals were weary and dusty, but there was no depression noticeable; hope seemed to spring up afresh after every defeat, and those who thought of the result at all were confident that, as the song of the camp had it, “No Englishman shall ever cross the Vaal.”

And now I shall try and draw you a picture of what I saw next.  It was a scene painfully humiliating for a Boer; what it was for an Englishman I leave you to judge.

Coming along in the dusty road was a little drove of cattle and horses, about twenty in all, shaggy animals, and of all sizes, evidently the entire stock of some small farmer.  Mounted astride on ponies, driving the sorry herd, their faces sunburnt, their hair all in a tangle, and their air the most dejected possible, were two young girls of about fifteen and seventeen years.  Following them was a rickety old waggon.  Under the hood sat an aged man and his wife, the parents of the two girls.  Not a soul to help these poor creatures in their wild flight.  They did not even know whither they were fleeing—­anywhere to keep out of the hands of the enemy.  Slowly the little caravan passed out of sight.  Who can tell what regrets for the past were felt by the aged couple?—­what hopes for the future by the helpless lasses?

When I reached the intermediate station I found that the fault lay on the Lindley side.  Towards Lindley I rode, testing the line frequently, but the sun went down and I was still testing.  It grew too dark to see the wire distinctly, so I made for a farmhouse near by to seek shelter for the night.  I knocked at the door, whereupon the light within was immediately extinguished.  A minute or so after a native servant came round from the back.  I gave him my horse to take to the stable, and waited for the door to be opened.  Presently the Kafir returned and asked me to follow him to a side door, which he opened for me.  I stepped inside, and found myself in the presence of about a dozen Boers, all armed, and all gazing at me as if they had paid for the privilege.  There was something tense in the situation.