"Hark,
what is that?" was a universal exclamation from the few folk, mostly
women, standing in front of Mr. Weil's house, as a curious hoarse cheer
arose--not in the stadt, half a mile away, but nearer, close by, only
the other side of the station, where was situated the B.S.A.P. fort, the
headquarters of the officer commanding the Protectorate Regiment. This
so-called fort was in reality an obsolete old work of the time of Sir
Charles Warren's 1884 expedition, and was but slightly fortified.
The Boers, after setting fire to the stadt, had rushed it, surprising
the occupants; and the horrible noise of their cheering arose again and
again. Then a terrific fusillade broke out from this new direction,
rendering the roadway a place of the greatest danger. My quarters were
evidently getting too hot, and I knew that Weil's house and store would
be the first objective of the Boers. I bethought me even novices might
be useful in the hospital, so I decided to proceed there in one way or
another. Although the rifle-fire was slackening towards the east, from
the fort, on the west it was continuing unabated; and the way to the
hospital lay through the most open part of the town. Calling to our
soldier servant of the Royal Horse Guards to accompany me, I snatched up
a few things of value and started off.
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