By Daylight On The 12th The Head Of His Force Had
Reached Waterval Drift, Which Was Found To Be Defended By A Body Of
Boers With A Gun.
Leaving a small detachment to hold them, French
passed his men over Dekiel's Drift, higher up the stream, and swept
the enemy out of his position.
This considerable force of Boers had
come from Jacobsdal, and were just too late to get into position to
resist the crossing. Had we been ten minutes later, the matter
would have been much more serious. At the cost of a very small loss
he held both sides of the ford, but it was not until midnight that
the whole long column was brought across, and bivouacked upon the
northern bank. In the morning the strength of the force was
enormously increased by the arrival of one more horseman. It was
Roberts himself, who had ridden over to give the men a send-off,
and the sight of his wiry erect figure and mahogany face sent them
full of fire and confidence upon their way.
But the march of this second day (February 13th) was a military
operation of some difficulty. Thirty long waterless miles had to be
done before they could reach the Modder, and it was possible that
even then they might have to fight an action before winning the
drift. The weather was very hot, and through the long day the sun
beat down from an unclouded sky, while the soldiers were only
shaded by the dust-bank in which they rode.
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