gged our own two 5-inchers up
the hill we were on, and got them into position for shelling the defiles
ahead. They were not, however, needed. Messengers now began to arrive
from the Boer laagers carrying white flags. There was a lot of palaver.
These went, others came. Le Gallais, our chief of the staff, interviewed
them, while Hunter strolled a little way apart, dreamily admiring the
view. It was evident the Boer envoys were sticking out for terms which
they couldn't get. I could see Le Gallais indicate the surroundings with
summary gestures. The Boers looked very glum. They eyed the cow-guns
especially with profound disgust. These were looking particularly
ridiculous. The nose of one of them projected in the direction of those
secret Boer-tenanted defiles as if the great creature were sniffing for
its enemies in the distance; which gave it a very truculent and
threatening air, as who should say, "Come now, Le Gallais, old fellow,
suppose you let me put a word in," while the other, hanging its head
till its nose touched the very ground, seemed overcome, poor wretch,
with a sudden fit of bashfulness, most absurd in so huge and warlike a
monster. The Boers looked from them to Le Gallais and from Le Gallais to
them, but there was no more hope from one than the other, and at last
they realised that there was nothing for it but to surrender, and
surrender was agreed to. We could scarcely believe our good fortune. At
Paardeberg we caught 4000, but we used 50,000, more or less, to do it,
and we lost about 1500 doing it. Here we trapped as many or more,
composed of some of the best commandoes of the Free State, caught them,
too, in a wild mountainous country such as you would think was almost
impregnable. We used 15,000 to do it, and we lost, I suppose, not 200
altogether. Also, we have taken enormous quantities of horses, oxen, and
waggons, which will come in very useful.

It seems to me that Hunter deserves the utmost credit that can be given
to him. We have had plenty of generals who have done direct fighting and
done it well; but, with the doubtful exception of Paardeberg, we have
had no triumph of tactics. We have never scored off the Boers, never
made a big capture, or cut them up, or taken guns or transport, or
bested them in any decisive way by superior strategy till now. This has
always been our lament. We have always said, "Why, with all these armies
in the field, cannot we surround them, or catch them, or deal a deci