You see, there are a line of huts on this side, and two or three better-
class houses. No doubt the railway officials and natives all live there;
they would all turn out when they heard the firing, and the Boers would
come rushing over from the other side. It would be out of the question
for us to carry forward those four boxes to the middle of the bridge,
plant them over the centre of the girders, and light the fuses. A
quarter of an hour would be wanted for the business at the very least,
and we should not have a minute, if there is as good a guard by night as
there is by day. It is likely to be at least as large, perhaps much more
than that. The thing is impossible in that way. However, of course we
can crawl up close after dark and satisfy ourselves about the guard.
"If it is not to be managed in that way, we must go down to the river
bank and see whether there is anything to be done with one of the piers.
If that is not possible, we must content ourselves with smashing things
up generally on this side. Several of the trucks look to me to be full
of ammunition, and there are eight with long cases which are no doubt
rifles. We all remember that terrific smash at Johannesburg, and though
I don't say we could do such awful damage as there was there--for there
were I don't know how many tons of dynamite exploded then, I think about
fifty--still, it would be a heavy blow.
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