There Was Only One Way To Safety, For Knox's
Mounted Infantrymen And Lancers Were Already Dotting The Southern
Skyline.
Without hesitation the whole Boer force, now some 2500
strong, galloped at full speed in open order through the Nek,
braving the long range fire of riflemen and guns.
The tactics were
those of French in his ride to Kimberley, and the success was as
complete. De Wet's force passed through the last barrier which had
been held against him, and vanished into the mountainous country
round Ficksburg, where it could safely rest and refit.
The result then of these bustling operations had been that De Wet
and his force survived, but that he had failed in his purpose of
invading the Colony, and had dropped some five hundred horses, two
guns, and about a hundred of his men. Haasbroek's commando had been
detached by De Wet to make a feint at another pass while he made
his way through the Springhaan. Parsons's force followed Haasbroek
up and engaged him, but under cover of night he was able to get
away and to join his leader to the north of Thabanchu. On December
13th, this, the second great chase after De Wet, may be said to
have closed.
CHAPTER 31.
THE GUERILLA WARFARE IN THE TRANSVAAL: NOOITGEDACHT.
Leaving De Wet in the Ficksburg mountains, where he lurked until
after the opening of the New Year, the story of the scattered
operations in the Transvaal may now be carried down to the same
point - a story comprising many skirmishes and one considerable
engagement, but so devoid of any central thread that it is
difficult to know how to approach it. From Lichtenburg to Komati, a
distance of four hundred miles, there was sporadic warfare
everywhere, attacks upon scattered posts, usually beaten off but
occasionally successful, attacks upon convoys, attacks upon railway
trains, attacks upon anything and everything which could harass the
invaders. Each General in his own district had his own work of
repression to perform, and so we had best trace the doings of each
up to the end of the year 1900.
Lord Methuen after his pursuit of De Wet in August had gone to
Mafeking to refit. From that point, with a force which contained a
large proportion of yeomanry and of Australian bushmen, he
conducted a long series of operations in the difficult and
important district which lies between Rustenburg, Lichtenburg, and
Zeerust. Several strong and mobile Boer commandos with guns moved
about in it, and an energetic though not very deadly warfare raged
between Lemmer, Snyman, and De la Rey on the one side, and the
troops of Methuen, Douglas, Broadwood, and Lord Errol upon the
other. Methuen moved about incessantly through the broken country,
winning small skirmishes and suffering the indignity of continual
sniping. From time to time he captured stores, wagons, and small
bodies of prisoners. Early in October he and Douglas had successes.
On the 15th Broadwood was engaged. On the 20th there was a convoy
action.
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