, French left on November
18. On the following night he reached De Aar, where Major-General
Wauchope gave him another couple of companies of Mounted Infantry.
Acting on Wauchope's advice, he determined to make Naauwpoort his
base. Buller had suggested Hanover Road. But French on arrival found
that Wauchope was right. The country round Naauwpoort proved to be
much more level, was less closely laced with wire fences, and afforded
better means of communication both by road and rail.

No sooner had he arrived (on November 21) than he ordered a
reconnaissance to be made on the following morning. His cavalry came
within eight miles of Colesberg, without seeing the enemy. Accordingly
French determined to attack the town, and asked for reinforcements of
cavalry for that purpose. On November 23, however, further
reconnaissance supported by a trainload of infantry showed that the
situation had developed. It was found impossible to approach Arundel,
as the kopjes north of Arundel station were occupied by the Boers.

Reporting the state of affairs to headquarters, French said that, in
his opinion, the Boers should be pushed out of Colesberg immediately,
as they were being reinforced daily, and were spreading disaffection
throughout the Colony. But he was not in a position to do more than
worry the enemy for several days. However, his persistent
night-and-day fretting of Schoeman's forces achieved the desired
result. His ubiquitous patrols seriously alarmed the Boer general as
to the safety of his outposts at Arundel. A squadron of Lancers
discovered one day that the kopjes round Arundel had been evacuated.

After that a dash on the town followed. Here again the policy of nag
and bluster had frightened the Boers out of their position. There were
only a hundred men in it when the British force arrived; and they fled
precipitately at the mere sight of it. Next day, Colonel Porter struck
even farther north with his cavalry and mounted infantry, occupying a
kopje three miles north of the town.

There followed a brief lapse in active hostilities. The Boers heavily
entrenched themselves on the neighbouring hills; and a prisoner taken
by our men said that Schoeman had at least 3,000 men, with some useful
guns, and was waiting for further reinforcements.

French's position now became critical in more than one sense of the
word. For in mid-December news of the triple British disaster came
through to hearten Schoeman and his men. Cronje