chart, the whole
of that huge district would be criss-crossed, from Taungs to Komati
and from Touws River to Pietersburg, with the track of our weary but
indomitable soldiers.

Without attempting to enter into details which would be unbecoming to
the modesty of a single volume, one may indicate what the other more
important groupings were during the course of these months, and which
were the columns that took part in them. Of French's drive in the
south-east, and of Blood's incursion into the Roos-Senekal district some
account has been given, and of his subsequent sweeping of the south. At
the same period Babington, Dixon, and Rawlinson were co-operating in the
Klerksdorp district, though the former officer transferred his services
suddenly to Blood's combination, and afterwards to Elliot's column in
the north of Orange River Colony. Williams and Fetherstonhaugh came
later to strengthen this Klerksdorp district, in which, after the
clearing of the Magaliesberg, De la Rey had united his forces to those
of Smuts. This very important work of getting a firm hold upon the
Magaliesberg was accomplished in July by Barton, Allenby, Kekewich,
and Lord Basing, who penetrated into the wild country and established
blockhouses and small forts in very much the same way as Cumberland
and Wade in 1746 held down the Highlands. The British position was much
strengthened by the firm grip obtained of this formidable stronghold
of the enemy, which was dangerous not only on account of its extreme
strength, but also of its proximity to the centres of population and of
wealth.

De la Rey, as already stated, had gone down to the Klerksdorp district,
whence, for a time at least, he seems to have passed over into the
north of the Orange River Colony. The British pressure at Klerksdorp had
become severe, and thither in May came the indefatigable Methuen, whom
we last traced to Warrenton. From this point on May 1st he railed his
troops to Mafeking, whence he trekked to Lichtenburg, and south as far
as his old fighting ground of Haartebeestefontein, having one skirmish
upon the way and capturing a Boer gun. Thence he returned to Mafeking,
where he had to bid adieu to those veteran Yeomanry who had been his
comrades on so many a weary march. It was not their fortune to be
present at any of the larger battles of the war, but few bodies of
troops have returned to England with a finer record of hard and useful
service.

No sooner, however, had Methu