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It was not only the force from the other side of Vanvurenskloof with which we had to deal. The united forces of the English had now concentrated from different points with the purpose of working our ruin. The English were exceedingly angry that we had escaped from them on the Vaal River, for they had thought that they had us safely in their hands.
This I did, and took a part of my men to Vanvurenskloof, whilst I sent another body of burghers to Zandnek. Everything went smoothly. The enemy did not appear and the laager escaped without let or hindrance and so we camped at Vanvurenskloof. I must have misled the English, for they certainly would have thought that I would come out by the road near Roodekraal.
We retired towards Vanvurenskloof, and on arriving there the following evening heard that a great English force had come from Schoemansdrift and captured Potchefstroom, that another force was at Tijgerfontein, and a third at Schoemansdrift. Early next morning we crossed the Vaal River at Witbanksfontein. There we off-saddled.
The burghers came to close quarters with the enemy, and a fierce engagement with small arms took place. It appeared later that the enemy's casualties amounted to more than a hundred dead and wounded. Our loss was only two men. As I have already stated, we camped at Vanvurenskloof.
But I cannot understand why the force in our rear, which had arrived at Parijs the previous evening, remained there overnight, nor why, when they did move on the following morning, they marched to Lindequesdrift, eight miles up the Vaal River, and not, as might well have been expected, to Vanvurenskloof.
It was now, however, somewhat unsafe, for that same afternoon a large force of the enemy was marching along the Vaal River from Vredefort to Parijs. These troops would be able to reach Vanvurenskloof early the following morning; whilst the force at Potchefstroom, which I have already mentioned in this chapter, would also be able to arrive there at the same hour.
One of these divisions, my scouts told me, might be turning aside to Vanvurenskloof. Now the road from Venterskroon passed between two mountain chains to the north of Vanvurenskloof; and I feared that the English would block the way there. I had to avoid this at all costs, but I had hardly a man available for the purpose.
On the afternoon when I received the above-mentioned letter, there was still a way of escape open to me, through Parijs to Potchefstroom. This road crossed the Vaal River at Schoemansdrift, and then followed the course of the stream between Parijs and Vanvurenskloof.
The Free State railway was Lord Roberts' principal line of communication, and he had provided guards for it everywhere. During the night of August 21st, we arrived at Vanvurenskloof. How delightful it was when the sun rose to see once more the well-known mountains to the south of the Vaal River in our own Free State! "There is the Free State," we called out to each other when day broke.