When Colvile, whose division was detailed as a reserve, arrived at Waterval Drift, he found the passage congested by transport of all kinds; and although after half a day’s delay he was able to proceed to Wegdraai Drift, a large convoy on which the Army depended for the greater part of its supplies for the march to Bloemfontein, had to be left behind.  A small escort remained with it, the wagons were laagered, and the oxen outspanned and sent out upon the veld to graze.  No danger was anticipated.

De Wet had not been lurking on the banks of the Riet for nothing.  Hitherto he had not greatly distinguished himself.  On the outbreak of the war he and his three sons were commandeered as private burghers, and when he reached the Natal border he was appointed vice-commandant.  He served under A.P.  Cronje and witnessed Carleton’s surrender at Nicholson’s Nek.  In December he joined P. Cronje at Magersfontein, and was sent early in February to Koedoesberg Drift to check the British demonstrations on the Riet below Modder River Station, and later on to observe French.  It is probable that the military deficiencies of his leaders made him sullen.  Erasmus at Dundee stood idly in the background while Symons and Yule were on the slopes of Talana Hill, and Cronje was deaf to his remonstrances against a mere passive defence on the Modder River and the presence of women and children in the laager.

But De Wet with a free hand quickly recovered himself when the fortune of war threw him a casual chance after French had despatched him in imagination to a destination where he could do no harm.  The convoy was ordered to follow Colvile to Wegdraai at 5 p.m. on February 15, and at 8 that morning, while the oxen were still grazing on the veld, De Wet, who was hovering near Winterhoek, swooped down upon the laager.  The slender escort made a good resistance and the attack was reported to Lord Roberts at Wegdraai, who at first sent back a battalion with a battery and some mounted infantry, and when these were found insufficient the rest of the 14th Brigade were despatched under Tucker to endeavour to extricate the convoy.  But when Tucker reached the Drift at sunset he found himself unable to bring it away.  Most of the oxen had disappeared and De Wet had been reinforced.  Lord Roberts was unwilling to delay his advance, and finding that the supplies were not absolutely indispensable to the success of his march, at midnight ordered Tucker to abandon the convoy and to return to Wegdraai.  Next morning De Wet took possession of 176 wagon loads of supplies and 500 slaughter oxen—­his first exploit in the war.