nded by men and officers for their
own use. There was some delay before he secured an adequate guard to
protect it. Despite many incidents, equally inconvenient to this, time
was well kept and Lord Roberts' reliance on the silence and efficiency
of the officials was fully justified.

[Sidenote: Secrecy and orders adapted to case.]

Throughout the month of January Lord Roberts so directed the conduct
of operations and disposed of reinforcements arriving from England as
to mislead the Boer General as to his designs. His real intentions
were, in fact, known only to his Chief of the Staff (Lord Kitchener),
his Military Secretary (Major-General Sir W. G. Nicholson), to the
Director of Military Intelligence (Local Colonel G. F. R. Henderson),
and to those who had to make the railway arrangements, Colonel
Girouard, Major D. Murray, Assistant Director of Railways, Mr. T. R.
Price, Chief Traffic Manager, Major H. Hamilton, who acted as
intermediary for Lord Kitchener, and to Colonel C. P. Ridley, in
charge of the western line of communications. To Lord Methuen the
Commander-in-Chief wrote on the 11th January:--

"I have come to the conclusion that I must ask you to act
strictly on the defensive, and as it may be even necessary for me
to withdraw a portion of your force, you should consider how your
line of entrenchments could be sufficiently reduced to enable you
to hold the position with two, instead of three, brigades, and
possibly with one or two batteries and one regiment of cavalry
less than you have at present. Your request for four of the siege
4.7-in. guns will be complied with, and when these reach you, you
will doubtless be able to make your position practically
impregnable. That the relief of Kimberley cannot be immediately
effected I am as sorry for, as I am sure you must be, but I trust
that it will still be possible for you to give the brave garrison
at that place a helping hand before they run short of supplies
and ammunition."

To the central line of operations where, owing to the activity of
French, the strength of the enemy had increased, Lord Roberts
despatched the 6th division and placed a portion of one of its
brigades (the 12th, under Maj.-Gen. R. A. P. Clements) at French's
disposal. It was decided to give Lieut.-General Kelly-Kenny a separate
command from Naauwpoort southward, leaving French to continue his
previous campaign agains