I think General De Wet made a great mistake in returning to the Free State so soon. With his energy, his ability, his prestige and men he should have gone to the De Aar Junction, destroyed that most important railway point and then followed the railway towards Cape Town, destroying it and all the bridges on his way. Such were the conditions in Cape Town at the time that had he gone ahead and penetrated as far as the Paarl, it is safe to conclude that he would have received at least 15,000 recruits, and these Colonial Boers cannot be surpassed for fighting qualities. Having done this, before retracing his steps he would have had an army 20,000 strong before he reached the Orange River. I always felt that the war should have been carried into Cape Colony and there finished, for the people were ripe for rebellion, and had Generals Botha, De Wet and de la Rey gone there with their commands it is certain that they would have risen, as one, and all joined the Boers. This would have meant the defeat and downfall of the English army and the independence of the Africander race throughout South Africa. But they didn't go there, and the Africander race has yet to free itself. During this month of February neither General de la Rey nor the English did anything worth recording. The English remained close in their forts, and General de la Rey was satisfied to rest his men and give his horses a chance to recuperate and fatten up. CHAPTER XVIII. HORSES, MULES AND MEN ARRIVE FROM AMERICA--THE AUTHOR AND MAJOR PRETORIUS MAKE A LONG RIDE WITH DESPATCHES--AN EXCITING TRIP. Now I come to the month of March, during which but little was done except in Cape Colony and de la Rey's district of the Western Transvaal. General Louis Botha was at Ermelo and the various commands were in their respective districts on the high veldt. The English did not come out because enough mules and horses had not yet arrived from America.