he enemy's advance in fact did not extend in any force beyond the
latter. Very shortly after the affair at Willow Grange the tide began
to ebb. The precise cause for this is still a matter of surmise. It
may be that Joubert considered he had gathered in all that was needed
to supply his positions around Ladysmith and behind the Tugela; it was
reported at the time that 12,000 head of cattle were among the spoils.
It may be that he found the British force, although yet only partially
concentrated and organised, too strong to justify a more extended
movement. It had been rumoured that he purposed to capture, if
possible, Estcourt and Mooi River, {p.211} and even to push on to
Pietermaritzburg, with the view of stopping the relief column as far
as possible from its point of destination. Such an effort was strictly
accurate from the strategic standpoint, and accordingly his whole
movement may have been of the nature of a reconnaissance in force, to
receive greater development if circumstances favoured, and in any
event to impose delay by destroying the roads. To this, however, it
must be replied, even in the ground covered, the injury to the rail,
though often attempted was nowhere serious, except where culverts or
bridges offered vulnerable points.

Another interesting and far from improbable story was current at the
time, that Joubert's retirement was due to peremptory orders from
Pretoria, elicited by the progress of Methuen, the operations around
Naauwport, and the increase of British force in that central region
which French's movements, and those of Gatacre before Stormberg,
seemed to indicate. This report is mentioned by two correspondents
then at Estcourt,[23] as based upon despatches captured {p.212} on
Boer couriers on November 25, directing Joubert to return at once to
Ladysmith, and even to prepare for moving homeward. An official
synopsis of the papers,[24] then given to the press by the military
authorities, does not fully establish the truth of the rumour, but it
does give fair ground to infer that such an influence was exerted upon
the counsels of Pretoria by the operations in Cape Colony; notably by
the battle of Belmont, November 24, and the consequent demoralisation
among the Free State burghers.

[Footnote 23: Burleigh, "Natal Campaign," p. 128,
129. Atkins, "Relief of Ladysmith," p. 116.]

[Footnote 24: Burleigh, "Natal Campaign," p. 129.]

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