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Updated: June 23, 2025
The form was fat and jovial-looking, and the pony was small but also fat. It was Hans Coetzee none other! Jess could hardly believe her eyes. Old Hans in Pretoria! What could it mean? "Oom Coetzee! Oom Coetzee!" she called, as he came ambling past her, evidently heading for the Heidelberg road. The old Boer pulled up his pony, and gazed around him in a mystified fashion. "Here, Oom Coetzee! Here!"
Were it not for the brandy that Tanta Coetzee gave him he could never have tramped the fifteen miles or so of ground which he had covered. Now he was quite broken down, and felt that the only thing which he could do, wet through as he was, would be to lie down somewhere, and sleep or die as the case might be.
Here, take a tot of brandy before you go; it is a wet night, and sometimes when you are clear of the Transvaal and remember this business, remember, too, that you owe your life to Tanta Coetzee. But I would not have saved you, not I, if you had not been so plucky. I like a man to be a man, and not like that miserable monkey Carolus. There, be off!"
On our side we had five men killed and seven wounded the brave Lieutenant Nortje and Corporal J. Coetzee being amongst them. A small fort, situated between the others, had been overlooked, through a misunderstanding, and a score of soldiers who were garrisoning it had been forgotten and omitted to be disarmed. An undisciplined commando is not easily managed at times.
Captain Kirsten, with about ten men, was ordered by General Coetzee to hold a position to the right of the white kopje, and prevent the enemy from taking it. This position consisted of a small rise, from which we could fire at the kopje with a sight of 550 paces.
"I fancy you will find the birds flown, nephew," said the fat voice of Hans Coetzee. "They have got warning of your little visit." "They cannot be far off," answered Muller. "I have had them watched, and know that they have not left the place. Get down, uncle, and look in the house, and you too, Hendrik."
You will see about the sending in of those prisoners;" and he knocked out his pipe and rose. "By the way, Meinheer," said Muller, suddenly adopting a tone of respect, "I have a favour to ask." "What is it, nephew?" "I want a pass for two friends of mine English people in Pretoria to go down to their relations in Wakkerstroom district. They sent a message to me by Hans Coetzee."
"It is not impossible, Uncle Coetzee, as you know," said Jess. "Listen! If I get that pass I will speak to my uncle about the five hundred pounds. Perhaps he would not want it all back again." "Ah!" said the Boer. "Well, we are old friends, missie, and 'never desert a friend, that is my saying. Almighty! I must ride a hundred miles I will swim through blood for a friend. Well, well, I must see.
"Allemachter!" groaned Coetzee, "what did I tell you? The poor rooibaatjes shot down like buck, and the land running with blood! And now that Frank Muller will draw me into it, and I shall have to go and shoot the poor rooibaatjes; and I can't miss, try as hard as I will, I can't miss.
The prisoners have come in, and I heard one of the Boers in charge say that he had a pass signed by the Boer general for some English people, and that he was coming over to see about them presently. Who can it be?" "It is for us," said Jess quickly. "We are going home. I saw Hans Coetzee yesterday, and begged him to try and get us a pass, and I suppose he has."
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