About one and a half miles to our right was the little farm settlement behind a ridge, and from the great column of black smoke that was rising in the air we concluded that the English must be there, engaged in a fight against the women and children and burning their homes. We turned to our right and went down the arroya and when at a distance of 400 yards, Major Pretorius, who was in front, leaped from his horse. Preller and I followed suit. About 500 yards to his left Major Pretorius discovered fifteen mounted English on a small ridge facing him. Near the arroya was a small clump of bush and in it we concealed our five horses as best we could. The Major and Preller crawled up a hill about sixty yards away to try and find out where the camp was, while I was to stay with the horses and keep an eye on the smoke. In a few moments I discovered between us and the smoking farm settlement, at a distance of about 800 yards, some 400 cavalrymen, all dismounted. The major had also discovered them and traveled back to tell me.

We now realized that we were in a bad box, and that it looked as if there was no hope to escape, for should we try to go back towards Pretoria we would be discovered and driven into that town and captured. In a few minutes the 400 cavalry mounted their horses and came up the arroya towards us, crossed it about 300 yards below us, passed about the same distance to our left and finally dismounted in the road just where a few minutes before we had picked up the bag. They were now about 400 yards from us and in plain view. Suddenly they mounted their horses, formed a semi-circle around us, in line of skirmishers, and began to fire, but in an opposite direction to us. Another 100 cavalry came up the arroya from the burning houses, driving some sheep, and passed behind us no more than seventy-five yards away. We heard distinctly all they said about burning and plundering the farmhouses. The firing became general all about us. Then we knew that some Boers had attacked the English, yet there was no possible chance for us to escape as far as we could see.

We all shook hands, and swore that we would not surrender, and having concealed the few valuables we had, we waited for the English to discover us. Should they kill us they would get nothing but our horses, and as a last resort we were going to mount our horses and run for our lives. The fight lasted till 10.30 a.m., about three and one half hours, and then the English formed columns, took their wagons and cannon and started for Pretoria. They had gone about 800 yards when they halted and dismounted. We did not like this, so we mounted our horses, rode down the arroya about 300 yards till we came to the wagon road that led to the farm settlement, and then put spurs and were away at full gallop. The English stood with their necks stretched like a flock of geese and gazed intently at us, but never fired a shot. We passed near five Boers in a kopje who were about firing on us, but seeing our pack horses they refrained. They could not understand how we could be Boers and come from the English lines, yet they knew that none but Boers had pack horses.

On reaching the farm settlement we found the houses were not burnt, but the barns and all food supplies were destroyed and hundreds of women and children left to starve. The object of this was to force the women and children to go to Pretoria and ask for supplies of food. Lord Kitchener would then send them to one of his prison camps for women and children, and cable to London that some 200 women and children from Schurweburg had come to him as refugees, seeking his protection, as all were in a starving condition. The Boers who had been fighting the English soon came in and reported their morning's work. We knew every one of them personally and were glad to see them again. When the fight began only six of the 110 men had horses, but when it ended they had nineteen more and six mules and one wagon loaded with supplies which they had captured from the English. With the mules they could now mount thirty-one of the 110 men.

During the fight a little fifteen-year-old boy by the name of Pretorius had walked about three miles to a point from which he could see if there were any more English coming from any quarter. He remained too long, and when he saw the English columns returning to Pretoria, it was too late for him to run and save himself. He had no idea that the English engaged in the fight intended to return to Pretoria so soon.

He followed the Boer instinct to save himself, and he crawled into an ant-bear hole about forty yards from the road and pulled his rifle with him. The whole column passed him by and when he could no longer hear the horses' feet beating the road, he ventured to peep out and see his position. He saw one man coming at a gallop about a half a mile away and he knew this man belonged to the column that had passed by, so he lay low and watched the lone trooper. When the trooper was about forty yards away little Pretorius jumped out of the hole, threw his rifle into position and called out, "Hands up!" The trooper was an English sergeant and thought at first that the little boy was joking, but soon saw that he was in earnest, and at once surrendered. Little Pretorius made him lay down his rifle, ammunition, and so forth, and then started him on his way on foot. After the trooper had gone about 100 yards the little boy with two rifles, plenty of ammunition and a fine horse, bridle and saddle, went cantering away to the farm settlements. On his arrival he was the hero of the hour, and every one, men, women and children, congratulated him on his pluck and good soldier sense. Now thirty-two of the 110 men were mounted.

A TYPICAL BOER FAMILY OF FOURTEEN
S.W. Joubert and Family.

We stopped here for three days to rest ourselves and horses and to have new shoes put on the horses, for we had to pass through a very rocky country. We learned that the English forts were very numerous between us and General de la Rey, and that it would be difficult to pass them by without being captured, but we must take the chance. Here we first met the famous Boer Spy, Captain Naude, a young man about twenty-three years old. In due time I will tell all about him and his marvelous spy system in Pretoria and Johannesburg. While in this farm settlement he and a few boys went into Pretoria every night and brought out a good bunch of the officers' horses, bridles and saddles, so that by the time we said good-bye to all and started on our long journey, seventy of the 110 men were mounted. We arrived at this farm settlement on May 4th and left on the 7th, passed near Krugersdorp, saw the English camps about there and went down through Hekpoort.

We were now about three miles from Nooitgedacht where General de la Rey and General Beyers had taken General Clement's camp and killed, wounded and taken prisoners 800 of his men. Ahead of us we could see a long line of English forts, so we knew that there must be Boers in the Magaliesburg just opposite to them. We moved cautiously and kept our eyes on the forts. When nearly opposite to them and about 5,000 yards distant, we found some Boers, and I tell you we felt much relieved. The English had spent the previous day trying to shell them out, but had signally failed. We could not learn just where General de la Rey was, but they knew he was somewhere near Mafeking on the western border. We remained here for the night and learned that the English had forts everywhere in front, and that we must be very careful.