e inexperienced youth could
get no help from his brigadier. Since the arrival of the message from
the main column that officer had not been approachable. But with the
aid of the good-natured gunner major and the opportune return of the
troop which had been detached in the morning, as the brigadier had
surmised, on a wild-goose chase after a mirage, it was possible to
apportion some sort of a force capable of holding a salient in Minie
Kloof without totally denuding the camp of adequate fighting strength.
But it is on occasions such as these, when isolated detachments are
scattered broadcast, that disaster is courted. Luckily it is only once
in a hundred times that the enemy has been in a position to accept the
free gifts offered to them.

FOOTNOTES:

[30] Christian de Wet

VIII.

STILL POTTERING.

To the delight of the men and disgust of the brigadier, day broke
without bringing any further orders to the New Cavalry Brigade. So it
remained halted in the great open prairie which fringes the Beer Vlei.
It may also be conjectured that De Wet and his following, as they were
stripping the adjacent little township of Strydenburg, learned with
satisfaction that the British columns, which lay round him like the
spokes of a wheel to the axle, were as immobile as usual--Plumer from
the force of circumstances, the others for the reasons set down in the
preceding chapter. But the cunning guerilla had no intention of
dallying at Strydenburg. It was not part of his strategy to spend two
consecutive days in any one spot unless bent upon the reduction of a
garrison. Even British column commanders at times have been known to
shake off their lethargy. He just remained in the town long enough to
replenish his quartermaster's stores department and to take over the
fresh ponies which Hertzog had collected for him, and then moved north
in three columns, trusting to pass between the spokes of the imaginary
wheel before Plumer had collected himself. Brand, with a thin hedge of
Free Staters and rebels, was left as a decoy to cover Strydenburg,
while the three columns made for Marks Drift in the loop of the Orange
River, south-west of Kimberley. And as De Wet put the first day's plan
of these movements into progress, the New Cavalry Brigade, by order,
remained halted, covering the entrance to the pass at Minie Kloof.

The men, however, were delighted. For the first time for many weeks
they were able to turn round and attend to