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Meanwhile a woman had whispered to Roux: "I hope these are not Ben Viljoen's people making fools of us." "Nonsense," he answered, "Can't you see that this is a very superior British officer?" Whereat the whole company further expressed their delight at seeing them. The "Colonel" now spoke: "Mr. Roux, we will take your cattle and sheep with us for safety.
He refers to Ben Viljoen's manifesto of September 29th, and to President Steyn's manifesto, and State Secretary Reitz's proclamation of October 11th, and says, "When I read these in conjunction with the history of South Africa for the last 18 years, I see that the cause of peace was hopeless in such hands." Almost contemporaneously with the expression of opinion of Dr. "Lessouto, June 28th, 1876.
Beatson had divided his force, and this section consisted of 850 of the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles, with thirty gunners and two pom-poms, the whole under the command of Major Morris. Viljoen's force trekking north towards the line came upon this detachment upon June 12th.
Upon November 13th the first of a series of attacks was made upon the posts along the Delagoa Railway line. These were the work of Viljoen's commando, who, moving swiftly from the north, threw themselves upon the small garrisons of Balmoral and of Wilge River, stations which are about six miles apart. At the former was a detachment of the Buffs, and at the latter of the Royal Fusiliers.
On April 13th the southern columns were started, but already the British preparations had alarmed the Boers, and Botha, with his main commandos, had slipped south across the line into that very district from which he had been so recently driven. Viljoen's commando still remained to the north, and the British troops, pouring in from every side, converged rapidly upon it.
By watching the flight of the bees they find out in what direction the hive is. A practised eye can see the rising and settling of the bees above the hive from a great distance. We went in a very different direction from that of General Ben Viljoen's commando, which took the road to Pietersburg through Leydsdorp.
As we journeyed on, the conductor would sometimes ask me whether I should like to stop at such and such a station, but my answer was always: "No! no! hurry on!" But when we got as far as Viljoen's Drift, there was an end to my "special train!"
Soon General Ben Viljoen's commando arrived at Marabastad, and stayed there a few weeks, so that we also experienced the discomfort arising from a lager camped on one's farm. The Boer is deprived by it of all necessaries, and all sorts and conditions of men constantly visit his house.
A few also had deserted for the time being, unable to resist the temptation of visiting their families in the neighbourhood. Some old burghers approached us and hailed us with the usual "Morning, boys! Which commando do you belong to?" "Viljoen's." "We would like to see your Commandant," they answered.
Before Viljoen's force made its way over the line it had its revenge for the long harrying it had undergone by a well-managed night attack, in which it surprised and defeated a portion of Colonel Beatson's column at a place called Wilmansrust, due south of Middelburg, and between that town and Bethel.
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