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Page 43
Under cover of darkness, the column rendezvoused at the Spekboom Bridge,
one company having gone on ahead to seize any Boers who might be coming
down at nightfall, as was their wont, to form a picquet there.
A start was made from the bridge at about 9 p.m. Leaving the main road
on their left, the column proceeded in single file, Devons leading,
along a footpath which led them over a Nek in the hills and thence down
into a donga. An accident, which might have been attended with very
unfortunate results, occurred at the very commencement. The Royal Irish,
who were in the rear, instead of following and keeping in touch with the
remainder of the column missed connection, and went up the main road, on
which, about two miles ahead, was a Boer picquet. They were, however,
stopped just in time and turned back. This delayed the advance for about
an hour. Along the donga the march was continued for some six miles,
when a cross donga was met with, the sides of which were steep and about
fifteen feet high. The leading troops crossed and halted on the far side
till the rear closed up. The Maxim gun mules with difficulty negotiated
the obstacle, and the advance was, after one hour's halt, continued to
Kruger's Post.
The force kept to the donga almost the whole march, scarcely for a
moment leaving its shelter. Terribly rough going it was, with long high
grass soaking wet, and the men tumbling about into ruts and over rocks.
On they trudged, twisting and turning, up and down, falling about, with
every now and then a suppressed exclamation and an imprecation on rocks
and ruts in general and night marches in particular--no lights, no
smoking. No one except he who has done it knows what a strain it is
marching along through the dark night, without a word and without the
company of a pipe.
On emerging from the donga at Kruger's Post on to the open veldt a
further halt was made; the leading troops lay down in the soaking grass
and were fast asleep in a moment.
It was found that the column had opened out considerably, and must have
stretched for some four miles from lead to end. The rate of marching at
the head of the column had been about two miles per hour. This was
found, over the rough ground, to be too quick to allow of the rear
keeping closed up--the pace should not have exceeded one mile an hour.
The column having closed up and the sleeping men having with difficulty
been found and turned up out of the wet grass, a further advance was
made. But now the direction was to the right in order to avoid Kruger's
Post Farm, which was occupied by the Boers. This took the column over
some millraces, a biggish jump for the men. The mules, having been
relieved of their loads, were man-handled across. Once over these and
then a wade through a stream knee deep, the ghostly column again halted.
It was now 3.30 a.m. The foot of the low hills behind which was the
laager, had been reached, and the officers were busy getting their men
collected.
An intelligence officer reports that if there is the slightest delay
dawn will break before the positions are reached. The first streak of
dawn is 4.45 a.m.
"May we go off now on our own?" is the question asked.
"All right; off you go!" is the cheery answer from Colonel Park.
The Devons had the furthest to go, perhaps one and a half miles to reach
the far side of the laager. The Royal Irish were already at the foot of
the hill on the top of which was the position assigned to them.
Two of the Rifle Brigade companies had unfortunately missed connection
and had gone off into the "Ewigkeit" in the dark, but one company was
ready and handy to the Nek which they had to occupy, to fill up the gap
between the Devons and the Royal Irish.
The Devons, who by this time were well together, started off, Captain
Travers with a guide leading. He had orders to take on with him the two
first companies, the guide showing him where to place his men. On they
went, running and walking, walking and running, up the slippery road,
across the Nek and then down into the valley below. Two small groups of
men were posted in the ditch leading up to the Nek.
As the last man reached the knoll overlooking the Nek at the place where
the main road crossed it, and which was the right of the Devons'
allotment of position, the two leading companies could be heard down in
the valley below stumbling amongst the stones, getting into a position
that would entirely cut off the Boers' retreat down the main road
leading north.
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