We now went in search of another farm, for it was a necessity that our horses should get some fodder.  The night was very dark, and, being unacquainted with that part of the country, we began wandering, and we did wander until the guide and most of the men were asleep on their horses—­wandered till we had described a circle and found ourselves, after a three hours’ ride, almost at the very farm we had left that night.  If it had not been for the flickering lights of the enemy’s camp-fires, we should not have known where we were, and certainly would have been quite close to them the next morning.  When we saw these lights, hardly three miles away, then we woke up.

I then took the lead, and brought the commando to the farm we were in search of.

At sunrise we arrived there, off-saddled, and gave our horses fodder.  The pickets were put out, and breakfast was prepared.  But, alas! before we could eat, the enemy was upon us, and our intended feast was converted into a prolonged fast.  So near was the foe, and so rapidly did they advance, that we had scarcely time to saddle and seize the nearest ridges.  If it had not been for the marvellous celerity of the Boer, many of the men would have been captured at that farm.

This was the 16th of December, 1901.  The day I never shall forget in my life’s history, and in the history of the Anglo-Boer War.  The sun rose in splendour that morning, casting his rays upon me—­a man in the prime of life, full of energy and martial ambition.  At eventide the scene was changed!  Weary, wounded and bleeding on a lonely plain, shrouded in darkness, I lay, no more the man of the day, or of bygone days, but weak and helpless as a babe.

Though I had taken part in many hot engagements, both as burgher and commander, and had been in many tight corners, yet I do not recollect a day in which we were so brought to bay, when we were so hard pressed as that day.  Early in the morning it was evident that the enemy had but one design that day, and that was to force me to surrender.  My commando was about eighty strong.  On my flanks were continually two British columns, whilst a third one was following up at my rear.  With such a small number of men at my disposal, and three columns to oppose, it was next to impossible to offer successful resistance.  We had hardly taken up a position when the flanking columns would come round, and we had either to abandon the position or allow ourselves to be shut in.  Thus we were compelled to retreat from one to another position, under the rays of a December sun, which seemed to set everything on fire, through a country so parched and dry that one hardly found a drop of water to quench one’s thirst, and that from early morn till sunset without a morsel of food!  That was enough to break down the strongest man.