Malcom Colley

Jedidiah - The Boer Thunder Malcom Colley

JEDIDIAH: THE BOER THUNDER Jed, as he is called by his friends, comes up to the Northern Transvaal to visit his cousin Sean. He has been working underground on the gold mines in Johannesburg and has heard stories and rumours of impending war. His cousin, Josh, is a qualified lawyer who owns a farm north of the town of Naboomspruit near to Potgietersrus. Jed reckons that Josh should know what is happening. On his way, Jed is attacked by a leopard and badly mauled. He also breaks his arm when the leopard knocks him off his horse. His horse takes him to the nearest farm house which belongs to Teens Venter. He is cared for by the Venter family, Teens, Truida and Beth. The daughter, Beth, takes a shine to Jed. They go in to Naboomspruit one Saturday, once Jed is better, to see if Josh has come in for the monthly Sunday communion at the local church. Josh is there in Naboomspruit and Jed and Teens meet with him to discuss the rumblings of war. The next morning they all attend communion and Jed joins Josh and his wife Sharon when they leave to return to their farm. Once home, Jed and Josh discuss what the best course of action would be with the inevitability of war on the horizon. Josh and Sharon's two sons, Jeremiah and Joel are in Pretoria where they are studying at the Transvaal University College. Josh and Sharon decide to move to Pretoria until the hostilities are over. Because of the two previous encounters between the Boers and the English, at Majuba and the Jamison Raid, they believe that everything should be sorted out within a couple of months. Jed decides to join the commando in the Western Transvaal near Mafeking. At the battle of Kraaipan Jed's party join the 800 men under General Koos de la Rey and that afternoon of 11 October 1899 attack the British Garrison. He joins the forces at Mafeking but doesn't have patience for the siege and, after a few days of boredom, decides to pay a quick visit to Naboomspruit to see Beth. On arriving at the farm, Jed learns from the last farm-workers that some Boer lowlifes, taking advantage of the chaos of war, have captured Beth. Jed follows in the wake of cruelty, robbery and murder.