s. He was
expecting a surprise attack that night, but nothing happened. No doubt
the news of our arrival had reached the Boers and they had thought better
of it. On our sweep from Brandfort to Small Deel we met a good many small
parties of Boers as we went through the ranges, but they gave us no
trouble except a lot of sniping. We got a good many surrenders, and
arrived at Small Deel hale and hearty. There I received my orders to
march on to Welgelegen and thence to Kroonstad, watching the country to
the left of the railway line. As we were camped at Welgelegen two nights
afterwards I received a message from Lord Kitchener to the effect that it
had been reported that some five hundred Boers and four guns had been
seen moving in the direction of Welgelegen and that I was to do my best
to intercept them, and, in any case, in moving on to Kroonstad to proceed
on both sides of the railway line on as broad a front as the numbers at
my disposal would allow. We could hear nothing of the five hundred Boers
and four guns, so after a thorough search of the country round Welgelegen
we marched on to Kroonstad.

On arriving there I reported at headquarters. Lord Roberts informed me
that he would inspect the column next morning at 10 A.M. The
Commander-in-Chief arrived up to time. His inspection was a very short
one, his chief anxiety being the condition of the horses. Fortunately
they were in good fettle, and their condition met with his approval. He
thanked me and gave instructions to his staff officers for the future
disposition of the several units.

Before 4 P.M. that afternoon the bivouac ground was empty and my
composite column dispersed. I at once set to work to gather up the
threads of my own especial work. The first thing was to establish a depot
at Kroonstad for my brigade supplies. The next, to bespeak horses at the
Remount Depot, just established at Kroonstad. I was busy at this work the
next day when I received a message to report myself at headquarters. On
arrival there General Grierson, the Quartermaster-General, told me that
he wanted me to take up a special job at once. He added that the arrival
of my horses in good condition had enabled the Commander-in-Chief to move
on, and that he had decided to advance to Pretoria straight away. It had
been anticipated that there would not be any great opposition on the part
of the Boers, at any rate as far as the Vaal River. The advance would be
a very rapid one, especially on