But Again The
Two Big Fish, Viljoen And Botha, Had Slipped Away, And The Usual
Collection Of Sprats Was Left In The Net.
The sprats count also,
however, and every week now telegrams were reaching England from
Lord Kitchener which showed that from three to five hundred more
burghers had fallen into our hands.
Although the public might begin
to look upon the war as interminable, it had become evident to the
thoughtful observer that it was now a mathematical question, and
that a date could already be predicted by which the whole Boer
population would have passed into the power of the British.
Among the numerous small British columns which were at work in
different parts of the country, in the latter half of May, there
was one under General Dixon which was operating in the
neighbourhood of the Magaliesberg Range. This locality has never
been a fortunate one for the British arms. The country is
peculiarly mountainous and broken, and it was held by the veteran
De la Rey and a numerous body of irreconcilable Boers. Here in July
we had encountered a check at Uitval's Nek, in December Clements
had met a more severe one at Nooitgedacht, while shortly afterwards
Cunningham had been repulsed at Middelfontein, and the Light Horse
cut up at Naauwpoort. After such experiences one would have thought
that no column which was not of overmastering strength would have
been sent into this dangerous region, but General Dixon had as a
matter of fact by no means a strong force with him.
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Words from 188628 to 188885
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