I would have sent for another suit had I not heard that the enemy were encamped close to the cave where our treasures lay hidden.[107] I had therefore to do the best I could with what I had.

There was no clothing to be got in the western districts, so that when my present outfit was worn out, I should be compelled to put on "khaki"-- although there was nothing I relished less than to rob a prisoner of war.
We started out that same evening in the direction of the railway line.
Our party consisted of about two hundred men, composed as follows: the President, with his bodyguard of thirty men, under Commandant H.Van Niekerk, the Government, Commandant Van de Merwe, of Vredefort, my staff and myself.
Before daybreak we got through the Heilbron-Frankfort line of blockhouses without accident; and on the following night (March 5th) we crossed the railway line, between Wolvehoek and Viljoensdrift.

Whilst we were occupied there in cutting the telegraph wires, the enemy fired a few rounds on us, at a distance of five hundred or six hundred paces.

We approached nearer, and they then opened fire with a Maxim--but without doing any damage.
We continued on our road, past Parijs and Vredefort, towards Bothaville, and we came upon a blockhouse line which extended from Kroonstad to the Vaal River.

We rested for two days, to the north of Bothaville; during this time my scouts captured from the enemy eighteen horses, most of which were in good condition.
On the night of March 12th we broke through the blockhouse line, some five miles to the west of Bothaville.