General De la Rey and I then came to the decision that after the burghers had exchanged a few shots, we would quietly retreat a short distance, and then, with a sweep, try and cross the line at another spot.

This ruse was successful and we crossed unobserved.

But the first of our men had hardly got seventy paces from the railway line, when a fearful explosion of dynamite took place, not thirty paces from the spot where we had crossed.

Whether this was managed by electricity or whether the hindmost horses had struck on the connecting wire of some trap set by the enemy, I cannot say; at all events, we escaped with only a fright.
On the fourth day after this we met the Transvaal Government and held a conference at once, in accordance with the letter mentioned in my last chapter.

It grieved us much that things should have taken this turn, for it nearly always happened that somehow matters of this sort came to the ears of the English.
But the Transvaal Government had again taken courage, as they had received an answer to the cable which they had sent to the Deputation, which answer instructed them to hold out; and also because two successful battles had taken place shortly before--one fought by General Kemp, and the other by Commandant Muller.