Broadwood's Retreating Column Now Found Itself On A Huge Plain
Which Stretches All The Way To Bloemfontein, Broken Only By Two
Hills, Both Of Which Were Known To Be In Our Possession.
The plain
was one which was continually traversed from end to end by our
troops and convoys, so that once out upon its surface all danger
seemed at an end.
Broadwood had additional reasons for feeling
secure, for he knew that, in answer to his own wise request,
Colvile's Division had been sent out before daybreak that morning
from Bloemfontein to meet him. In a very few miles their vanguard
and his must come together. There were obviously no Boers upon the
plain, but if there were they would find themselves between two
fires. He gave no thought to his front therefore, but rode behind,
where the Boer guns were roaring, and whence the Boer riflemen
might ride.
But in spite of the obvious there WERE Boers upon the plain, so
placed that they must either bring off a remarkable surprise or be
themselves cut off to a man. Across the veld, some miles from the
waterworks, there runs a deep donga or watercourse - one of many,
but the largest. It cuts the rough road at right angles. Its depth
and breadth are such that a wagon would dip down the incline, and
disappear for about two minutes before it would become visible
again at the crown of the other side. In appearance it was a huge
curving ditch with a stagnant stream at the bottom.
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