Commandant Hasebroek remained behind, waiting for
some of his men to join him.

We took with us one Krupp with sixteen rounds--
that was our whole stock of gun ammunition!

By the afternoon of the 16th we had advanced as
far as Springhaansnek. The English had built a line
of forts from Bloemfontein to Thaba' Nchu and Lady-
brand. And just at the point where we wanted to
pass them, there were two forts, one to the south and
the other to the north, about 2,000 paces from each
other, on the shoulder of the mountain.

My first step was to order the Krupp to fire six
shots on one of these forts; and, very much to the
credit of my gunners, almost everyone of these shots
found its mark. Then I raced through.

All went well. The only man hit was Vice-As-
sistant-Commandant Jan Meijer, of Harrismith, who
received a wound in the side. He was shot while sit-
ting in a cart, where he had been placed owing to a
wound which he had received a few days before, in
the course of a hot engagement, which General Philip
Botha had had at Ventersburg Station.

We now rode on through Rietpoort towards Dewets-
dorp, staying, during the night of the 17th of Novem-
ber, at a place on the Modder River. The following
day we only went a short distance, and halted at the
farm of Erinspride.

On the 19th I made a point of advancing during
the day, so as to be observed by the garrison at
Dewetsdorp.

My object was to lead the garrison to think that we
did not want to attack them, but wished first to recon-
noitre the positions. This would have been quite an
unnecessary proceeding, as the town was well known
to me, and I had already received information as to
where the enemy was posted.

The garrison could only conclude that we were again
flying, just as we were supposed to have done--by
readers of English newspapers--at Springhaansnek.

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