But I cannot understand why the force in our rear, which had arrived at Parijs the previous evening, remained there overnight, nor why, when they did move on the following morning, they marched to Lindequesdrift, eight miles up the Vaal River, and not, as might well have been expected, to Vanvurenskloof.
The burghers whom I sent in the direction of Roodekraal had a fight with the enemy at Tijgerfontein.

A heavy bombardment took place; and my men told me afterwards that the baboons, of which there were a large number in these mountains, sprang from cliff to cliff screaming with fright--poor creatures--as the rocks were split on every side by the lyddite shells.
The burghers came to close quarters with the enemy, and a fierce engagement with small arms took place.
It appeared later that the enemy's casualties amounted to more than a hundred dead and wounded.

Our loss was only two men.
As I have already stated, we camped at Vanvurenskloof.

The next morning, while we were still there, we were surprised by the enemy--an unpleasant thing for men with empty stomachs.
I did not receive any report from my scouts[65] until the English were not more than three thousand paces from us, and had already opened fire on the laager, not only with their guns, but also with their rifles.

We at once took the best positions we could find; and meanwhile the waggons got away as quickly as possible.