from their families for six months, an opportunity to
take breath! ¹

After everything had been arranged I went to
Brandfort and thence to Kroonstad, at which place I
was to meet President Steyn, who had left Bloemfon-
tein the evening before it fell.

On my road to Kroonstad I fell in with General P.
J. Joubert, who had come to the Free State, hoping
to be able to discover some method for checking the
advance of Lord Roberts. He was anything but
pleased to hear that I had given my men permission
to remain at home till the 25th of March.

"Do you mean to tell me," he asked, "that you are
going to give the English a free hand, whilst your men
take their holidays?"

"I cannot catch a hare, General, with unwilling
dogs," I made reply.

But this did not satisfy the old warrior at all. At
last I said:

"You know the Afrikanders as well as I do, Gen-
eral. It is not our fault that they don't know what
discipline means. Whatever I had said or done, the
burghers would have gone home; but I'll give you my
word that those who come back will fight with re-
newed courage."

I knew very well that there were some who would
not return, but I preferred to command ten men who
were willing to fight, rather than a hundred who shirked
their duties.

Meanwhile President Steyn had proclaimed Kroon-

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