There are only three passes, the Magato Pass, Olifant's Nek,
and Commando Nek.
It was understood that all three were held by
British troops. It was obvious, therefore, that if Methuen could
advance in such a way as to cut De Wet off from slipping through to
the west he would be unable to get away. Broadwood and Kitchener
would be behind him, and Pretoria, with the main British army, to
the east.
Methuen continued to act with great energy and judgment. At three
A.M. on the 12th be started from Fredericstadt, and by 5 P.M. on
Tuesday he had done eighty miles in sixty hours. The force which
accompanied him was all mounted, 1200 of the Colonial Division (1st
Brabant's, Cape Mounted Rifles, Kaffrarian Rifles, and Border
Horse), and the Yeomanry with ten guns. Douglas with the infantry
was to follow behind, and these brave fellows covered sixty-six
miles in seventy-six hours in their eagerness to be in time. No men
could have made greater efforts than did those of Methuen, for
there was not one who did not appreciate the importance of the
issue and long to come to close quarters with the wily leader who
had baffled us so long.
On the 12th Methuen's van again overtook De Wet's rear, and the old
game of rearguard riflemen on one side, and a pushing artillery on
the other, was once more resumed. All day the Boers streamed over
the veld with the guns and the horsemen at their heels. A shot from
the 78th battery struck one of De Wet's guns, which was abandoned
and captured. Many stores were taken and much more, with the wagons
which contained them, burned by the Boers. Fighting incessantly,
both armies traversed thirty-five miles of ground that day.
It was fully understood that Olifant's Nek was held by the British,
so Methuen felt that if he could block the Magato Pass all would be
well. He therefore left De Wet's direct track, knowing that other
British forces were behind him, and he continued his swift advance
until he had reached the desired position. It really appeared that
at last the elusive raider was in a corner. But, alas for fallen
hopes, and alas for the wasted efforts of gallant men! Olifant's
Nek had been abandoned and De Wet had passed safely through it into
the plains beyond, where De la Rey's force was still in possession.
In vain Methuen's weary column forced the Magato Pass and descended
into Rustenburg. The enemy was in a safe country once more. Whose
the fault, or whether there was a fault at all, it is for the
future to determine. At least unalloyed praise can be given to the
Boer leader for the admirable way in which he had extricated
himself from so many dangers. On the 17th., moving along the
northern side of the mountains, he appeared at Commando Nek on the
Little Crocodile River, where he summoned Baden-Powell to
surrender, and received some chaff in reply from that light-hearted
commander.
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