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PREFACE BY COL. THEODORE BRINCKMAN, C.B. 5

THE AUTHOR TO THE READER 9

CHAPTER

• the war clouds gather 19
• and the war storm breaks 24
• the invasion of natal 30
• defeated at elandslaagte 40
• pursued by the lancers 44
• risking joubert's anger 59
• the boer general's superstitions 68
• "great powers" to intervene 72
• colenso and spion kop fights 78
• the battle of vaalkrantz 88
• the turn of the tide 100
• the great boer retreat 110
• driven from the biggarsbergen 124
• dispirited and demoralised 133
• occupation of pretoria 145
• battle of donkerhoek ("diamond hill") 150
• i become a general 161
• our camp burned out 175
• battle of bergendal (machadodorp) 181
• two thousand british prisoners released 185
• a government in flight 193
• an ignominious dispersal 204
• a dreary trek through feverland 212
• pains and pleasures of commandeering 237
• punishing the pro-british 246
• battle of rhenosterkop 258
• the second christmas at war 278
• capture of "lady roberts" 285
• a dismal "happy new year" 302
• general attack on british forts 307
• a "bluff" and a battle 322
• execution of a traitor 333
• in a tight corner 339
• eluding the british cordon 348
• boer government's narrow escape 358
• a government on horseback 377
• blowing up an armoured train 382
• trapping pro-british boers 388
• brutal kaffirs' murder trail 402
• capturing a freebooter's lair 411
• ambushing the hussars 416
• i talk with general blood 421
• mrs. botha's baby and the "tommy" 425
• the last christmas of the war 435
• my last days on the veldt 442
• i am ambushed and captured 449
• shipped to st. helena 462
• life in bonaparte's prison 471
• how we blew up and captured trains 485
• how we fed and clothed commandos 496
• our friend the enemy 506
• the fighting boer and his officer 515

APPENDIX 523