While French’s men were urging their spent horses forward to overtake the enemy, it became obvious that De Wet had very cleverly covered his retreat.  First from a farmhouse in the rear, and, when it was taken, from a low kopje, a small body of men poured forth a hail of bullets.  In manoeuvring to take the kopje, the tired cavalry allowed the astute De Wet and Delarey to escape with their guns intact.  Kruger and Steyn also, who had come up to hearten their followers, got away.

Maddening as it was to French to see his old enemy escape through his fingers like this, the condition of his men and of his horses had to be taken into account; they were dead beat.  For once the manoeuvring of De Wet proved as successful as when it was practised by French at Colesberg.  Finally the event of the day is attributable to two of French’s best qualities—­his caution and his extreme parsimony in the matter of human life.  A more ruthless leader might possibly have captured the Boer guns.  But it is extremely doubtful whether he would have taken De Wet, Delarey or any other of the well-mounted Boer leaders.

From Poplar Grove the enemy fell back on Driefontein.  On March 10, French again drove them, although not without real difficulty, from their stronghold.  This accomplished, the army pushed on towards Bloemfontein, which surrendered on March 13.  For six weeks the main body halted there to rest, but chiefly to obtain remounts for the cavalry.  During that time, however, French’s men were not idle.  They continually patrolled the surrounding country, keeping in constant touch with the enemy and driving him back for many miles from the town.

[Page Heading:  A PAINFUL SITTING]

One unhappy afternoon the General spent in sitting for a painter in Bloemfontein.  It was probably the severest ordeal of the campaign for that retiring soldier.  “General French,” wrote the painter’s youngest daughter, “is quite the shyest man in the British army, and looks less like a cavalry officer than you could possibly imagine.  He is a heavy man, always looks half-asleep—­although who is there more wide awake?—­has a very red complexion, grey moustache, thick-set figure, and the last personality in the world to help an artist as a sitter.  He promised to sit for the painter, although most characteristically he could not for the life of him think what he had done to be of sufficient interest for anyone to want to sketch him.  At last, after a great deal of trouble, the painter got him to sit one morning just outside the club at Bloemfontein.  That sitting was the shortest and most disjointed the painter has ever had.  The General sat bolt upright in a chair, reading his paper upside down through sheer nervousness, and, if he left that chair once, on one excuse or another, he left it a hundred times, coming back looking more thoroughly upset and nervous each time, until at last he never came back at all.  And the painter’s only chance of sketching him was at the club during dinner!"[13]