After the men and horses had eaten, and the moon rose over the dark peak of Thaba N'Chu mountain, the burghers lighted their pipes and sang psalms and hymns until the peaceful valley resounded with their voices.
[Illustration: VILLAGE AND MOUNTAIN OF THABA N'CHU] Panting horses brought to the little stone farmhouse, where General De Wet was drinking milk, the long-awaited scouts who carried the information that the British force had evacuated Thaba N'Chu late in the afternoon, and that it was moving hurriedly toward Bloemfontein.

Again the order: "Opzaal," and the mule train came into motion and the burghers mounted their horses.

A chill night air arose, and shivering burghers wrapped blankets around their shoulders.

The humming of hymns and the whistling ceased, and there was nothing but the clatter of horses' hoofs, the shouts of the Basutos, and the noises of the guns and waggons rumbling over the stones and gullies to mark the nocturnal passage of the army.

Lights appeared at farmhouse windows, and at their gates were women and children with bread and bowls of milk and prayers for the burghers.