n
fragments of the commandos. The north-west had also settled down to
a large extent, and during the last three months of 1901 no action of
importance occurred in that region. Even in the turbulent north-east,
which had always been the centre of resistance, there was little
opposition to the British columns, which continued every week to send in
their tale of prisoners. Of the column commanders, Williams, Damant,
Du Moulin, Lowry Cole, and Wilson were the most successful. In their
operations they were much aided by the South African Constabulary.
One young officer of this force, Major Pack-Beresford, especially
distinguished himself by his gallantry and ability. His premature death
from enteric was a grave loss to the British army. Save for one skirmish
of Colonel Wilson's early in October, and another of Byng's on November
14th, there can hardly be said to have been any actual fighting until
the events late in December which I am about to describe.

In the meanwhile the peaceful organisation of the country was being
pushed forward as rapidly as in the Transvaal, although here the
problems presented were of a different order, and the population an
exclusively Dutch one. The schools already showed a higher attendance
than in the days before the war, while a continual stream of burghers
presented themselves to take the oath of allegiance, and even to join
the ranks against their own irreconcilable countrymen, whom they looked
upon with justice as the real authors of their troubles.

Towards the end of November there were signs that the word had gone
forth for a fresh concentration of the fighting Boers in their old
haunts in the Heilbron district, and early in December it was known that
the indefatigable De Wet was again in the field. He had remained quiet
so long that there had been persistent rumours of his injury and even
of his death, but he was soon to show that he was as alive as ever.
President Steyn was ill of a most serious complaint, caused possibly by
the mental and physical sufferings which he had undergone; but with an
indomitable resolution which makes one forget and forgive the fatuous
policy which brought him and his State to such a pass, he still appeared
in his Cape cart at the laager of the faithful remnant of his commandos.
To those who remembered how widespread was our conviction of the
half-heartedness of the Free Staters at the outbreak of the war, it was
indeed a revelation to see them after two y