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Two of these, whose injuries were serious, had been placed by some of my staff on my waggon; one was Van der Merwe, a member of President Steyn's bodyguard; the other was a boy of thirteen years old, named Olivier. We hurried on, and came, shortly after sundown, to the farm called "Bavaria," on the Bothasberg. There Van der Merwe died. The boy had already been relieved from his sufferings.
With the others it fared but ill. The English closed in, and the circle became narrower and narrower. On the 27th of February, 1902 "Majuba Day" Commandant Van Merwe and four hundred men fell into the hands of the enemy. On that very day, in the year 1881, the famous battle of Majuba had been fought.
I was exceedingly sorry to find that President Steyn was seriously ill. For the last six weeks he had been in the doctor's hands; and, since his arrival at Pretoria, had been under the care of Dr. Van der Merwe, of Krugersdorp.
We had therefore to be prepared to fight our way through the blockhouses. And these, as I found out lately, had been greatly strengthened. On the 6th of February I was on the march, intending to advance to Slangfontein, to the west of Heilbron. I sent orders to Commandants Mentz, Van der Merwe, and Van Coller, to take a portion of Commandant Bester's burghers, telling them to go to Slangfontein.
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