north of the railway with his columns,
he at once started upon a sweep of that portion of the country which
forms an angle between the Delagoa line and the Swazi frontier--the
Barberton district. But again the two big fish, Viljoen and Botha, had
slipped away, and the usual collection of sprats was left in the net.
The sprats count also, however, and every week now telegrams were
reaching England from Lord Kitchener which showed that from three to
five hundred more burghers had fallen into our hands. Although the
public might begin to look upon the war as interminable, it had become
evident to the thoughtful observer that it was now a mathematical
question, and that a date could already be predicted by which the whole
Boer population would have passed into the power of the British.

Among the numerous small British columns which were at work in different
parts of the country, in the latter half of May, there was one
under General Dixon which was operating in the neighbourhood of the
Magaliesberg Range. This locality has never been a fortunate one for the
British arms. The country is peculiarly mountainous and broken, and it
was held by the veteran De la Rey and a numerous body of irreconcilable
Boers. Here in July we had encountered a check at Uitval's Nek, in
December Clements had met a more severe one at Nooitgedacht, while
shortly afterwards Cunningham had been repulsed at Middelfontein, and
the Light Horse cut up at Naauwpoort. After such experiences one would
have thought that no column which was not of overmastering strength
would have been sent into this dangerous region, but General Dixon had
as a matter of fact by no means a strong force with him. With 1600 men
and a battery he was despatched upon a quest after some hidden guns
which were said to have been buried in those parts.

On May 26th Dixon's force, consisting of Derbyshires, King's Own
Scottish Borderers, Imperial Yeomanry, Scottish Horse, and six guns
(four of 8th R.F.A. and two of 28th R.F.A.), broke camp at Naauwpoort
and moved to the west. On the 28th they found themselves at a place
called Vlakfontein, immediately south of Oliphant's Nek. On that
day there were indications that there were a good many Boers in the
neighbourhood. Dixon left a guard over his camp and then sallied out in
search of the buried guns. His force was divided into three parts,
the left column under Major Chance consisting of two guns of the 28th
R.F.A., 230 of the Yeomanry,