prisoners were taken.  As we went on our numbers gradually diminished.  Those who were unable to keep pace with the main body broke off in small parties and found their way back to the Orange Free State.

“By the 19th we had pushed on as far as Brak River, about twelve miles from Prieska.  Here we met with another disappointment, which almost proved fatal to our whole commando.  The river was in flood and no transit possible.  In what a dreadful plight we were!  Hardly eight miles behind us the British columns were stationed in crescent shape; in front was the swollen Brak River, and nine miles to our right was the Orange River, and that in flood.  Here at least it seemed as if De Wet would be caught, and though he escaped, this certainly was one of the tightest corners in which he ever found himself.

“About two hours before sunset we heard that the enemy was rapidly approaching us.  Anxiously we asked ourselves, Whither now?  We could not return, we could not ford the river; to proceed up-stream would expose us to the risk of being quartered against the river.  There was but one course to follow, and that an extremely hazardous one.  We could march down the Brak River as far as the Orange River, and then proceed along the latter.  Between us and the enemy there was then a ridge, extending parallel with the Orange River.  Behind this ridge we would be out of the enemy’s view.  Should they reach this elevation before it was dark, we would be pressed, with fatal consequences to ourselves, against a swollen river.  But here darkness proved our salvation once more.  We proceeded down the Brak River and up the Orange River.  When the enemy came to the ridge mentioned it was so dark that they could see no traces of us.

“De Wet had now decided to fall back on the Orange Free State.  To many of us this was a bitter disappointment; but we saw that nothing else could be done under the circumstances.  With tired horses and many burghers on foot we could not hope to circumvent the enemy.  Others, especially those who had suffered most in walking, were enraptured at the idea of going back to the Free State.  Their drooping spirits revived, and with renewed courage they started on the homeward march.

“The whole of that night we trekked along the banks of the Orange River, parallel to the British columns.  We tried one ford after the other, but to our dismay the stream was impassable.  The following day we were not only behind the enemy, but had outstripped them by nine miles.  To gain more on them we kept up the march almost unbroken the whole day.  And what a day it was!  We had to walk from twelve to fifteen miles without a drop of water.  Once we came to a forsaken well.  The water was of a greenish hue, bitter and stagnant—­a real Marah—­but we drank to quench our thirst and moisten our parched lips.

“On the 22nd we had proceeded