Chapter 14 - Page 2

escaped in the very last train from Ladysmith, and had taken over this
new and important duty. French's force assembled at Arundel and
Gatacre's at Sterkstroom. It is with the operations of the former that
we have now to deal.

General French, for whom South Africa has for once proved not the
grave but the cradle of a reputation, had before the war gained some
name as a smart and energetic cavalry officer. There were some who,
watching his handling of a considerable body of horse at the great
Salisbury manoeuvres in 1898, conceived the highest opinion of his
capacity, and it was due to the strong support of General Buller, who
had commanded in these peaceful operations, that French received his
appointment for South Africa. In person he is short and thick, with a
pugnacious jaw. In character he is a man of cold persistence and of
fiery energy, cautious and yet audacious, weighing his actions well,
but carrying them out with the dash which befits a mounted leader. He
is remarkable for the quickness of his decision -- 'can think at a
gallop,' as an admirer expressed it. Such was the man, alert,
resourceful, and determined, to whom was entrusted the holding back of
the Colesberg Boers.

Although the main advance of the invaders was along the lines of the
two railways, they ventured, as they realised how weak the forces were
which opposed them, to break off both to the east and west, occupying
Dordrecht on one side and Steynsberg on the other. Nothing of
importance accrued from the possession of these points, and our
attention may be concentrated upon the main line of action.

French's original force was a mere handful of men, scraped together
from anywhere. Naauwpoort was his base, and thence he made a
reconnaissance by rail on November 23rd towards Arundel, the next
hamlet along the line, taking with him a company of the Black Watch,
forty mounted infantry, and a troop of the New South Wales Lancers.
Nothing resulted from the expedition save that the two forces came
into touch with each other, a touch which was sustained for months
under many vicissitudes, until the invaders were driven back once more
over Norval's Pont. Finding that Arundel was weakly held, French
advanced up to it, and established his camp there towards the end of
December, within six miles of the Boer lines at Rensburg, to the south
of Colesberg. His mission -- with his present forces -- was to prevent
the further advance of the enemy into the Colony, but he was not
strong enough yet to make a serious attempt to drive them out.

Before the move to Arundel on December 13th his detachment had
increased in size, and consisted largely of mounted men, so that it
attained a mobility very unusual for a British force. On December