When the cat is away the mice may play, and the opportunity for a game was not lost on the Boers. During General Baden-Powell's absence from Rustenburg a party of Dutchmen under Commandant Limmer made an effort to lodge themselves on the heights commanding the town, and demanded its surrender. Major Hanbury Tracy, who with 120 men was in charge of the place, replied that he held Rustenburg for her Majesty's Government, and intended so to do. Thereupon hostile artillery began its thunderous detonations, and things grew frowning. But Colonel Holdsworth (7th Hussars) from the region of Zeerust, forty-eight miles off, scenting fight from afar, made a brilliant march, and assisted by Colonel Airey and his mettlesome Bushmen drove back the enemy. Two Bushmen were slain, and Captain Machattie and three men were wounded. This was the state of affairs when General Baden-Powell returned on the 9th of July. By the 10th the Boers had betaken themselves to Olifant's Nek in the Magaliesberg range, and so as to secure the other pass--Magato Nek--the Rustenburg party seized it. Unfortunately, nearer Pretoria was another nek, the Commando Nek, and here, as we shall see anon, the Boers, on the 11th of July, managed cunningly to locate themselves, thus cutting off General Baden-Powell from Pretoria. FOOTNOTES: [7] Lord Kensington, of the 2nd Life Guards, succeeded his father in 1896. He was educated at Eton, and entered the army as second lieutenant on June 22, 1892; he was promoted to lieutenant on April 5, 1893, and obtained his company on February 3, 1900. He was J.P. for Pembrokeshire and for Haverfordwest. CHAPTER IV JULY THE BATTLE OF BETHLEHEM AND THE SURRENDER OF PRINSLOO