The Long Infantry Line Extended Yet Further And Lapped Round The Flank Of The Boer Position, And Once More The Terrible Duet Of The Mauser And The Lee-Metford Was Sung While The 81st Field Battery Hurried Up In Time To Add Its Deep Roar To Their Higher Chorus.

With fine judgment Cronje held on to the last moment of safety, and then with a swift movement to the rear seized a further line two miles off, and again snapped back at his eager pursuers.

All day the grim and weary rearguard stalled off the fiery advance of the infantry, and at nightfall the wagons were still untaken. The pursuing force to the north of the river was, it must be remembered, numerically inferior to the pursued, so that in simply retarding the advance of the enemy and in giving other British troops time to come up, Knox's brigade was doing splendid work. Had Cronje been well advised or well informed, he would have left his guns and wagons in the hope that by a swift dash over the Modder he might still bring his army away in safety. He seems to have underrated both the British numbers and the British activity.

On the night then of Friday, February 16th, Cronje lay upon the northern bank of the Modder, with his stores and guns still intact, and no enemy in front of him, though Knox's brigade and Hannay's Mounted Infantry were behind. It was necessary for Cronje to cross the river in order to be on the line for Bloemfontein.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 373 of 842
Words from 99693 to 99952 of 225456