efficient. Please take every care of them and save the horses as
much as possible, for, until we can get hold of some of the
regiments now in Ladysmith, yours is almost the only cavalry we
have to depend upon."

The seizure of the bridge[310] would have been useful both in
deceiving Cronje and in facilitating later movements, but the
intricate ground on the northern bank of the river at that point would
have rendered further advance costly, and the defence of the bridge
itself difficult, and as yet it was unnecessary. French, therefore,
though he at the time knew nothing of the intended scheme, exactly
carried out what was the purpose of Lord Roberts' instructions when,
as recorded in Chapter XXIV., he, after the demonstration of January
25th, abandoned further efforts against Norval's Pont. It was not till
January 30th, during his brief visit to Cape Town, that he was given
two copies of the complete plan of operations, one for himself and one
for General Kelly-Kenny. It was no doubt due to these careful
precautions that the secret was so admirably kept as it was, and that
the Boers were so completely deceived as they were as to what was
going on.[311]

[Footnote 310: See map No. 9.]

[Footnote 311: President Steyn telegraphed to C. De Wet as
late as the end of January that the British advance would be
made by Colesberg, and suggested the despatch of
reinforcements to that point from Magersfontein. But De Wet,
who was now in command of all Free State troops in the
western theatre, having been transferred from Natal early in
December, refused, on the ground that if Magersfontein were
weakened, the British would make Kimberley their point of
attack. The records of the O.F.S. railway at this period show
how much anxiety was felt as to Colesberg. Between the 27th
December and 13th January 2,700 burghers passed through
Bloemfontein _en route_ to Norval's Pont, and between the
25th January and 8th February (including a Heidelberg
commando over 500 strong between 6th and 8th) another 1,442;
not until the 9th was the stream of reinforcements for the
south stopped at Bloemfontein. By that time Lord Roberts
himself, and nearly all the army, including Kelly-Kenny's and
French's divisions, had reached their destination south of
the