However it may be, I could not bring myself to think it right to be so cruel. People kept asking me how it was possible that I could be kind to such a man. I said that so far I had never learned to hate anyone, and that therefore I could still do good to my adversary; especially when God gave me the grace and the strength to prove to my enemy that, in spite of all the desolation and destruction he had wrought, there still remained something over for me. We were camping here under some lovely trees. All my people had got here now, and many others kept coming for clothes and tarpaulins and all kinds of necessaries, so that fresh heart was put into them to push forward with their task. After a few days we heard that a large number of “khakis” were coming on from Klerksdorp. “Yes,” I said, “now they will be after the Boers again.” General De la Rey went to the commando to see that all should be ready to receive the “khakis” when they came. However, they kept quiet for the moment in Klerksdorp. I had pitched my tent in a lovely little wood. Everything was looking very well; the veldt was in good condition; my cattle were all doing very well when suddenly the pest broke out among my animals. This was very disappointing; however, it did not go so very badly with them. The week had come to an end, and I was just going to sleep on Saturday night when suddenly General De la Rey and Ferreira and young Coos came up to my waggon. “I was not to wait for them,” they said, “there was such a large number of troops in Klerksdorp, and we were not so very far from them.” After they had had something to eat, we went to sleep. On Sunday everything was quiet. President Steyn had also joined us. We all met in the morning at service, and I asked President Steyn to come and dine with us that day. We had a very pleasant time, and heard nothing more of the English. Early on Monday morning, just as I had got up, there came a man all red with blood asking, “Where is the General?” “Here he is,” I said. “General,” he cried, “there are the English.” The horses were quickly saddled. I did not know how to hurry enough, to get all my things packed, the “khakis” were now so near; however, we had all learned to get ready quickly when the enemy was coming. Very soon we had finished everything and off we started again, keeping a good look-out to see that the troops were not closing upon us. Very soon we had formed into a very large “trek.”