E-text prepared by Jonathan Ingram, Garrett Alley, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team ON COMMANDO by DIETLOF VAN WARMELO With a Portrait Methuen & Co. 36 Essex Street W.C. London Colonial Library 1902 [Illustration: DIETLOF VAN WARMELO] PREFACE This book was written in 1901, while its author was a prisoner at Ahmednagar. It was written in Dutch, and has been put into English by a young lady from what was the Orange Free State. The author is a friend and relation of mine, son of a clergyman in the Transvaal, and of old Afrikander stock on both sides. His book is the more valuable because of the absence of all literary pretensions, and it may be taken as truly representative of the Afrikander spirit, which has been so much misconceived in England. FREDERIK VAN EEDEN WALDEN, N. HOLLAND, _July_, 1902 CONTENTS CHAPTER FOREWORD I. AT THE BOUNDARY--ENTRANCE INTO NATAL--DUNDEE--LADYSMITH II. SIEGE OF LADYSMITH--BATTLE OF THE ROOIRANDJES--BLOWING UP OF THE CANNON III. THE EIGHT-DAY BATTLE OF THE TUGELA--TALK OF INTERVENTION--RELIEF OF LADYSMITH IV. DEWETSDRIFT--RETURN TO, AND FLIGHT FROM, PRETORIA V. TREK FROM MIDDELBURG TO RUSTENBURG--BATTLE OF SELIKATSNEK VI. GUERILLA LIFE ON THE MAGALIES MOUNTAINS--NARROW ESCAPE OF PRESIDENT STEYN AND GENERAL DE WET VII. WITH PRESIDENT STEYN TO PRESIDENT KRUGER VIII. WITH PRESIDENT STEYN IN THE BOSCHVELD--LOST IX. PRACTICAL HINTS--ADVENTURE ON THE SABIE--NORTH OF LYDENBURG X. FROM ROOSSENEKAL TO PIETERSBURG--WITH GENERAL BEYERS TO THE MAGALIES MOUNTAINS XI. BATTLE OF NOOITGEDACHT XII. PAARDEKRAAL DAY--BATTLE IN THE MOAT--ATTACK ON KAALFONTEIN STATION XIII. COMMANDO SUFFERINGS XIV. BATTLE OF BOESMANSKOP--FLIGHT OF WOMEN XV. BATTLE OF CHRISSIESMEER--REUNION WITH GENERAL BEYERS XVI. CAMPED NEAR TAFELKOP CONCLUSION: BATTLE OF STOMPIES--IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY MY LIFE ON COMMANDO FOREWORD Could I have known that the war would last so long, I might from the beginning have taken notes. They would have brought back memories in a way pleasant to me now, and perhaps also to those who have asked me to write down my adventures.