I was, however, very sorry that I could not carry away with me the blankets and boots which we found in large quantities, for they would have been most valuable for winter use.

But there was no time for this, as the English held the railway and could at any moment bring up reinforcements from Bloemfontein, from Kroonstad, or from Pretoria.

So, as I could not take the booty away with me, I was obliged to consign it to the flames.
But before I did this I gave the burghers permission to open the post-bags, and to take what they liked out of them.

For in these bags there were useful articles of every description, such as underclothing, stockings, cigars and cigarettes.
Very soon every one was busy with the post-bags--as if each burgher had been suddenly transformed into a most zealous postmaster! Whilst my men were thus pleasantly occupied, two prisoners asked me if I would not allow them also to open the post-bags, and to investigate their contents.

I told them to take just what they fancied, for everything that was left would be burnt.
It was a very amusing sight to see the soldiers thus robbing their own mail! They had such a large choice that they soon became too dainty to consider even a plum-pudding worth looking at! Although I had ordered my men to wreck the bridges both to the north and to the south of us, I still did not feel secure--any delay on our part was fraught with danger, and the sooner we were off the better.
But before we could start, I had to find some method of removing the ammunition which I wished to take with me.