Should the English know this they would know exactly where our weak point lay.
I pitied the poor "Tommies," but what else could I do but order them to march with me?
I treated them as well as I could, and made no difference between them and the burghers.

And after all, many of our own men had to go on foot.
Any delay was dangerous, and so we hurried on as fast as possible.

When we reached the railway line, day had already begun to break.
Fortunately, we met with no opposition; the patrols had followed my orders and broken the line.
When the sun rose one could see what a terrible condition the burghers were in.

On every man's face utter exhaustion could be read.

But how could it have been otherwise?
The men had had fighting to do the previous day, and had only once been able to off-saddle, and that not long enough to cook a piece of meat.