Commandos and Civil War of 1864 107 



the Bench (before the other commando approached 

 when they all cleared out), one, Swart, was haled to 

 justice all the way from Swartruggens for improper 

 arid immoral conduct, Commandant Andries Van 

 Der Walt commandeered some of us to keep guard 

 over Swart for the night and hand him over to the 

 authorities in the morning, and as guard house, we 

 were given the cottage of a widow who was an in- 

 timate friend of old v. d. Walt, who was a great 

 sport. P. J. Marais, myself and several others, 

 collected all kinds of musical instruments and the 

 inevitable gin, and made night hideous with discord. 

 We impressed upon the prisoner the importance of 

 his taking some gin and this was repeated, notwith- 

 standing his protests, until he was unable to escape, 

 and he was then sat up against the wall on the floor. 

 I am ashamed to say that one perverted spirit 

 discovered a bucket of eggs, and a brilliant idea 

 struck him that a target made with charcoal on the 

 whitewashed wall would give excellent practice if 

 drawn immediately above the head of Swart (which 

 was all hair and teeth). Strict instructions were 

 given not to hit Swart, but, unfortunately, some 

 were out of practice and missed the target, and some 

 perfectly ' good eggs " caught him in the eye and 

 elsewhere, and marred the beauty of his black beard ! 

 It was disgraceful, but after target-practice he fell 

 peacefully asleep, and the guard danced " Sir Roger 

 de Coverly " in the moonlight, with much music and 

 noise. About midnight I spied the Commandant 

 coming along so I blew out the lights, told the 

 fellows to keep quiet, and I waited until he was 

 inside the cottage ; when I threw him down, and sat 

 on him, holding him by the throat and shouting at 

 him " You would try to escape would you " ! pre- 

 tending I thought he was Swart. He gurgled that 

 he was not Swart but our Commandant. I ordered 



