THE SIEGE OF MAR ABAS TADT. 1 43 



One morning I went down as usual to the little river 

 about 400 yards below the fort to bathe. I had just 

 dried myself and got into my shirt, when I heard the 

 crack of a rifle and subsequently a regular peal of 

 firing. Gathering up my clothing I made my way to 

 the fort in a manner characterised more by rapidity 

 than by dignity, and completed my toilet under cover. 



The enemy had done a very smart and bold thing. 

 The Boer commandant in person, accompanied by one 

 or two more of them, had galloped down, and exposing 

 themselves to the full fire of the fort (that is to say, I 

 suppose, they came within about 400 yards), had 

 captured and driven off the police horses. How they 

 managed to do so without being shot I can hardly make 

 out. The whole thing was a surprise, and probably our 

 men could not get to their rifles until the enemy were 

 nearly out of range. We still had some few horses left, 

 viz., those which were fed in the empty huts. Mine 

 was one of them. 



Every morning we sent out a mounted patrol to 

 reconnoitre the village of Marabastadt, lest any of the 

 enemy should be concealed there. 



One day the patrol was met by a volley from a party 

 of the enemy concealed behind some houses, and one 

 of our men was struck by two bullets and killed. The 

 patrol retired ; and now the enemy opened a smart fire 

 from behind houses and from ditches, to which we 

 replied. This continued for about a couple of hours, 

 until the enemy found it so hot that they evacuated 

 Marabastadt and retired in haste. 



About 400 yards from the fort and on the side 

 opposite to that on which the village lay, was a ridge 

 of stones from which an enemy could annoy the fort. 



