There had been five or six hundred head of cattle with us, but, without my being aware of it, they had gone astray in the darkness.
We intentionally left the path, because we thought that the English would be most vigilant at points where paths crossed the line.
Suddenly we found ourselves at a wire fence.

The darkness was so thick, that it was only after we had cut the wire that we discovered that we were close to a blockhouse.

Although the house was not more than a hundred paces from us, we could hear and see nothing.

When we were some four hundred paces on the other side of the line of the blockhouses, I sent a burgher back to see if all the men and cattle had crossed safely--for we were riding in a long trail, and amongst us were old men and youngsters of only ten years, or even less.

These boys would have been taken away from their mothers had they stayed at home; and thus the only way to keep them from captivity was to let them join the commandos.
The burgher soon returned, and told me that the whole commando and all the cattle had crossed the line.