This was one of those moments when a man has to keep his presence of mind, or else all is lost.
Whilst I was still thinking the matter over, troops began to come out of the camps, about two miles to the west of us on the road between Wolhuterskop and Magaliesberg.

The scout who had escaped might now be with that force.

I had therefore to act at once.
I decided on climbing the Magalies Mountains, without a path or road! Near by there was a Kaffir hut, and I rode up to it.

When the Kaffir came out to me, I pointed to the Magalies Mountains, and asked:-- "Right before us, can a man cross there ?" "No, baas,[67] you cannot!" the Kaffir answered.
"Has a man never ridden across here ?" "Yes, baas," replied the Kaffir, "long ago." "Do baboons walk across ?" "Yes! baboons do, but not a man." "Come on!" I said to my burghers.

"This is our only way, and where a baboon can cross, we can cross." With us was one Adriaan Matthijsen, a corporal who came from the district of Bethlehem, and was a sort of jocular character.