They preferred to go their own way--and all were captured with the exception of twenty-eight men.

But this misfortune was not due to the blockhouses.

On the contrary, they were taken prisoners when they were attempting to hide themselves in small bodies.

In this way more than a hundred burghers fell into the hands of the English.
There were now with me Commandant Mentz, and portions of the commandos of Commandants Bester, Cilliers, and Mears.
That afternoon we marched to a farm which was twelve miles from the Lindley-Kroonstad line of blockhouses.

When it was quite dark, we left the farm with the intention of breaking through this line before daybreak.