f several
hundred of the enemy, led by Oppermann and Christian Botha. Vallentin
was killed and almost all of his small force were hit before British
reinforcements, under Colonel Pulteney, drove the Boers off. Nineteen
killed and twenty-three wounded were our losses in this most sanguinary
little skirmish. Nine dead Boers, with Oppermann himself, were left upon
the field of battle. His loss was a serious one to the enemy, as he was
one of their most experienced Generals.

From that time until the end these columns, together with Mackenzie's
column to the north of Ermelo, continued to break up all combinations,
and to send in their share of prisoners to swell Lord Kitchener's weekly
list. A final drive, organised on April 11th against the Standerton
line, resulted in 134 prisoners.

In spite of the very large army in South Africa, so many men were
absorbed by the huge lines of communications and the blockhouse system
that the number available for active operations was never more than
forty or fifty thousand men. With another fifty thousand there is no
doubt that at least six months would have been taken from the duration
of the war. On account of this shorthandedness Lord Kitchener had to
leave certain districts alone, while he directed his attention to those
which were more essential. Thus to the north of the Delagoa Railway line
there was only one town, Lydenburg, which was occupied by the British.
They had, however, an energetic commander in Park of the Devons. This
leader, striking out from his stronghold among the mountains, and
aided by Urmston from Belfast, kept the commando of Ben Viljoen and the
peripatetic Government of Schalk Burger continually upon the move. As
already narrated, Park fought a sharp night action upon December 19th,
after which, in combination with Urmston, he occupied Dulstroom, only
missing the government by a few hours. In January Park and Urmston were
again upon the war-path, though the incessant winds, fogs, and rains of
that most inclement portion of the Transvaal seriously hampered
their operations. Several skirmishes with the commandos of Muller and
Trichardt gave no very decisive result, but a piece of luck befell
the British on January 25th in the capture of General Viljoen by
an ambuscade cleverly arranged by Major Orr in the neighbourhood of
Lydenburg. Though a great firebrand before the war, Viljoen had fought
bravely and honourably throughout the contest, and he had won the
resp